Greetings!

We have been in DeLand for a month now and, in the process of getting settled and unpacked, I have been reflecting on change and transition. Change is something that happens in an instant while transitions usually take much longer. We changed our residence on Clergy Moving Day, but the transition into Trinity and DeLand will be a much longer process.

In times of uncertainty and transition, it can feel like God is far away. But the reality is that God is always as close to us as the air we breathe. God’s presence has not moved. What is missing is our awareness. Remembering to be aware of God’s presence has helped me in the days of transition. God is with us.

A few days ago a lady came to my office. She told me how she had experienced God’s presence in a real and powerful way. She wanted to respond to the amazing love and grace of God that God gives us - even though we don’t deserve it. The amazing thing is that we don’t have to do anything! We just need to receive God’s gift of love and be thankful. We need to be still before God in humility. In other words, we simply need to love God back, which is the natural response even though our love feels small by comparison.

The Exciting Church knows that God is with us – no matter what. God loves everyone – no matter what. We are precious to God – no matter what. When I am feeling thankful, I sometimes like to pray the “Loving Kindness Prayer” also known as the “Meta Prayer.” It goes like this:

May you know your wholeness.

May you dwell in the heart.

May you be free from suffering.

May you be healed.

May you be happy.

May you be at peace.

I LOVE being your Pastor!

Todd

Make plans to join us as Pastor Todd continues his sermon series on "The Exciting Church!" 

God’s heart is that his church is full of joy and excitement. It is God’s plan that lives are transformed in exciting ways through the church. This series will explore, over nine weeks, the various aspects of the church that make her the most exciting place to be.

August 4 - The Exciting Church: Where People Grow in Faith

Matthew 13:1-9

Growing in faith is part of the spiritual experience. We need each other to do this. Being part of the exciting church is to grow deeper in the knowledge and love of God. Note: This is Promotion Sunday, a special day when students "move up" to their new grade and Sunday School class. Join with us, as we offer a special Blessing of all Teachers and Students during both worship services!

August 11 - The Exciting Church: Where People Pray

James 5:13-16

The exciting church does not function under human power, but by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. In prayer, we seek God’s will for both the church and our personal lives. In prayer we seek to become present to the presence of God among us. The church is exciting; the Holy Spirit leads the way! Note: During the 8:30 a.m. early service, Bibles will be presented to all rising second and third graders.

August 18 - The Exciting Church: Where People Gather

Acts 2:43-47

The church is God’s idea. It is God’s idea that we do not live the spiritual life alone. We are not designed to do this by ourselves. To be the exciting church is to be part of a community.

August 25 - The Exciting Church: Where People Worship

Isaiah 6:1-8

Authentic worship can happen anywhere because it happens in the hearts and lives of people. True worship is when we worship God with both our hearts and minds. It involves both our emotions and our intellect.

One thing I love about the Exciting Church is that it allows me to bring my whole self to worship - questions and all. Worship is the appropriate response of the created to the Creator and we worship together in creative and different ways.

FINANCE TEAM REPORT

Beautiful ministries using your generous contributions

Each month, we will highlight an area or activity at Trinity

that makes use of your generosity.

Interim Pastor Appreciation

Pastors Beth Fogle-Miller, Dan Casselberry, and John Campbell filled the void created by Pastor Dale Golden’s retirement. Sunday sermons, visitation of our hospitalized and homebound friends, and administrative duties continued without missing a beat. These three wonderful people performed these acts at no cost to Trinity. An offering to show our appreciation took place during the month of June. By month-end, that offering totaled $3,845. Beth, Dan, and John have turned that offering back over to Trinity to help in enabling 100% payment of apportionments.

Trinity New Building Fund

A few questions regarding the capital campaign have been presented. Although the capital campaign has officially ended, payments received that are earmarked for the new building will continue to be placed in that fund. Your contributions always go where you request.

Mark Moor, Treasurer

A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. Proverbs 18:16

Christian nurture, the edification of believers, helps people understand, know and love God more. Teaching, guiding ministries must be a priority to help fulfill our church's purpose.

If you are interested in serving on one or more of our nurturing ministries, email Donna Beaty.

HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE IN 2020

Dear Exciting Church,

Carmel and I are traveling to the Holy Land with Bishop Carter and others from the Florida Conference on February 4-13, 2020. This will be our third trip to the Holy Land and the second time to be a tour host. 

You are invited to join us for this amazing pilgrimage! Registrations need to be received by October 22, 2019. Traveling is a great way to get to know your new pastor and we would love nothing more than to walk where Jesus walked with you. This pilgrimage makes a great Christmas present, birthday present, anniversary celebration or Valentine’s gift for the special people in your life.  

We will walk the shores of the Sea of Galilee, study the scriptures in the synagogue in Capernaum, pray on the Mount of Beatitudes, and renew our baptisms in the Jordan River. We will visit Bethlehem and conclude our time together in Jerusalem, where we will enter the Old City and follow the Way of the Cross. It will be a profound experience of travel, study, worship, and fellowship. This trip will change the way you read the Bible. There is no way to describe the power of the Holy Land for a disciple of Jesus Christ.  

If you are interested, there are three ways you can get more information:

 

1. Get the brochure from me. It has all the info on it. 

2. I will hold an informational meeting about the pilgrimage on Thursday, August 15th at 7pm in the Wesley Room. I will talk about my previous trips to the Holy Land, display some of our souvenirs, and answer any questions you might have about the trip.  

3. Or you can get all the info online at: www.eo.travelwithus.com. Click on the “find a trip link,” then click on “ know your tour info?” and enter the following information: Tour = HL20, Date = 020420, Code F.

The cost is $3498 per person. This includes your round-trip airfare, first-class hotels, gratuities, all guided tours, admission and park fees, fuel surcharges and government taxes, daily breakfast and dinner, and deluxe motorcoaches. That is a lot for the price! The only things not covered is spending money for souvenirs, lunch out on touring days, and the optional love offering we will collect for our guide and bus driver.

To register for the pilgrimage, use my Tour Host ID # 54898. 

Please prayerfully consider taking this pilgrimage with the us. It will change your life!

I LOVE being your Pastor!

Todd

MUSIC AND WORSHIP MINISTRY

Music Makers Camp was a huge success! We had 21 students enrolled, with many of them first-time campers. Thank you to everyone who assisted with the production of God of This City. We could not do it without the love and support of our many behind-the-scenes volunteers!

The Chancel Choir will be taking the month of August off; however, there will be lots of special music performed by some of our talented soloists and small ensembles during the month. Come hear some glorious music as we praise and worship our Lord together!

Trinity's Worship Team has been working with Pastor Todd on planning future worship services, as well as cleaning up the Altar Guild closet. On Clean Up Day, we found lots of items that were in good condition but not useful for our styles of worship. Such items (a cross, candle holders, etc.) have been donated to another church, and they were most appreciated.

We are still in search of a new drummer for the praise team after Bob Brook’s retirement. Please join with our team as we lift up this need in prayer.

And, as mentioned last month, we are already selecting our Christmas music and making plans to ensure we will have a most exciting and spiritually uplifting Advent and Christmas season. (After all, "it's the most wonderful time of the year!") Please consider joining us this fall.

Conya Hartman, Director of Music & Worship

SUSANNA CIRCLE

Susanna Circle members will be enjoying their last "dinner out with the girls" for the summer on Monday, August 12 at Cook's Cafe in DeLand. We will gather at 6:30 p.m. ALL women of the church are invited to join us for some good food, fun and fellowship.

Please see Lana Saxon at church or send her an email to let her know if you will be joining us for dinner. (Note, it will still be light outside, so no driving after dark --- hint-hint!)

HISTORY-ARCHIVES-LIBRARY TEAM

Members of the HAL Team will be assisting Pastor Todd, Susan Largen (Membership Secretary) and Mary Anne Rogers (Office Manager) with updating the church database and "People Directory". To accomplish this task, we feel it necessary to personally speak with members. Look forward to a phone call from us over the coming weeks, so we can get better acquainted and help Pastor Todd get to know us better.

As we move closer to finalizing plans for celebrating Trinity's 125th Anniversary, we hope you will join with us! The next meeting of the planning committee is Wednesday, July 31 from 7-8 p.m. in the Wesley Room. If interested, please email us at [email protected].

Debbie & Steve Jones, Co-Leaders

OUTREACH MINISTRIES

To spread the love of Christ and connect our congregation with opportunities to serve our community, both locally and globally.

If you are interested in serving on one of our outreach ministry teams, contact me. We are engaging in some fantastic community and mission-led activities and would love to get you involved.

Dee Miller, Coordinator

IT'S ALMOST

FALL FESTIVAL

TIME!

SAVE THE DATE AND SAVE YOUR STUFF!

Saturday, October 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Need more information? Contact Melissa Fuller or Dee Miller at church.

BREAKFAST AT TRINITY

In July, 104 (this includes 6 children) guests were served at Breakfast at Trinity. Our numbers had been running in the 70s, so we were astounded and wonderfully thankful for all those who came to eat with us.

Hispanic Health Ministries was there again to conduct glucose and cholesterol checks. The Health Department came for the first time and offered free Hepatitis A immunizations. (An article in the News-Journal recently stated that Volusia County has 174 cases of Hepatitis A, the third highest number of cases in the state. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection.) 

 

Our 26 volunteers worked hard to prepare, serve, talk with and listen to all our guests. With these numbers, we are always looking for more volunteers. Come visit us and check us out. Our next breakfast is Friday, August 23, from 9:30-11:15 a.m. Some of you might like to help us set the tables the previous day; we will meet from 1:00–2:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall on August 22 to set up.

 

As a way to further help our neighbors, we are collecting toiletries, good shoes, and socks to give to them. Toiletry items include deodorant, body powder, laundry pods, lotion, shampoo, toilet paper, feminine products, safety razors, etc. Please leave your donations in the bin outside Euretta's Closet, which is directly outside the Fellowship Hall as you go up the stairs to the Sanctuary.

Come join us as we serve God and our community!

Lana Saxon, Chairman

386-736-1008

HOSPITALITY TEAM UPDATE

To help Pastor Todd and his family feel truly welcomed to Trinity, we are asking members to wear name tags every Sunday and at church events during the summer. Do you still have yours? If so, please wear it to church so that the Bardin family will get to know your name (and face!) faster. If you forget, we have conveniently placed write-on name tags and pens in the pews.

If you would like to have a different (more permanent) name tag or haven't received one, please call the church office at 386-734-4425 and we will get you one. Thanks, everyone!

Susan Largen, Judy Ross, Ann Jenkins - Team Leaders

P.S. We need additional volunteers to step up and assist us with greeting members and visitors, handing out bulletins, printed materials, visitor gifts and answering questions. Will you be willing to serve as a greeter or ambassador for a specific Sunday service during the summer? If so, please see one of us at church or call the office to let Mary Anne know of your interest. Thanks!

INTERFAITH KITCHEN

Last month, members of Trinity's Administrative Council lovingly served our neighbors and community by providing a healthy meal to those in need through the Interfaith Kitchen. 90 men, women and children were served and shown the love of Christ. A great dinner was planned and coordinated by Debbie Jones (Thank you, Debbie!) And thanks to everyone who prepped, cooked, baked, welcomed and served the meal.

Can we do it again this month? The next Interfaith Kitchen will be held on Tuesday, August 20 at 4:30 p.m. at 1st UMC. To make it easy on everyone, we have decided to make it a "Casserole Night" which will entail preparing your favorite casserole (or salad or dessert) in an aluminum pan, which will be provided to you. There's no right or wrong casserole to make because it's potluck style!

Contact me by email or phone if you will be making a dish and/or volunteering to serve. Let me know if your dish will be a casserole, salad or dessert. Once made, you can bring it to the church on Tuesday, August 20th in the morning and store in the fridge, or bring it with you that evening. Thank you!

Melisssa Fuller, Coordinator

H.O.P.E. Team

The H.O.P.E. Team (Helpers of People Enslaved) is a faith-based group of 20 men and women who seek to raise awareness about human trafficking (HT) and to raise funds to help women who are escaping the bonds of HT to find housing and restorative care, including counseling and life skills training. Each April, we have a banquet called Night for Freedom; earlier this year, our banquet at Stetson raised $15,000. In June and July, groups that deal with Human Trafficking have been applying for this grant money.

In August, the H.O.P.E. Team will be making a decision regarding the selected grantee. It is not an easy task, as usually we have 16 or more applicants who have needs for this money. But how important it is!! This money will be used locally—yes, locally. New England Patriots owner Robert Craft and, lately, Jeffrey Epstein, have made national news, but careful reading of the news also tells us of cases right here in Volusia County. It's usually parents who are prostituting their daughters for drug money for themselves. But it's also online predators who make low-confidence young women feel wonderful and loved before they prey on them.

 

Please be in prayer for the H.O.P.E. Team as they consider applicants this month. Also pray for those caught up in trafficking. Susan Largen and Lana Saxon are members of the H.O.P.E. Team. Talk to us if you want more information.

The Witness Team coordinates, plans, carries out, and evaluates the congregation’s witness ministries, helping all to know and respond to the love of God in Christ. This includes intercessory prayers, planning and implementing our evangelistic efforts outside the walls of the church, including visitation and hospitality.

If you are interested in being a part of this new team, contact me by email using this link Rob Miller or by leaving me a note in the church's Witness Team mailbox outside the pastor's office.

Rob Miller, Coordinator

PRAYER CORNER

Pastor Todd is a man of prayer. Before he begins the Prayers of the People, he ushers us into the presence of God by inviting us to be silent. He asks us to put aside our thoughts of both what happened before we arrived for worship and what we will do after we leave. It is a time to be with God alone, humbling ourselves before Him and feeling His presence. When this is accomplished, Pastor Todd begins to give thanks and offers praises, then he asks for forgiveness, followed by petitions. It’s a beautiful experience - so personal, so refreshing!

 

At last week’s Thursday morning Prayer Group (which meets in the Parlor/Library every Thursday at 9 a.m. and to which all are invited) Conya asked Pastor Todd how prayer ministries were conducted in previous churches he had served. One of the things he mentioned was a Taizé (pronounced tah-ZAY`) Service. (Pastor Brian held a Taizé Service at Trinity in 2013.) It is a quiet, meditative style of worship using songs of prayer, scripture readings, soft music and opportunities to remain silent. The silence calms our minds and allows us to open our souls fully to the Spirit. God speaks and our hearts hear.

 

As part of our Advent preparation, perhaps we can have aTaizé prayer service in our Sanctuary or on our new property - all with candlelight! Dreaming too much, you say? What a wonderful way to let the surrounding residents know we are children of God and welcome everyone to come with us as we grow together in love and service to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

Let me know your thoughts. In the meantime, please join with me as we continue our "Church Directory prayers" for these members:

Bob & Becky Kellogg, The Harvey King family,

Dennis Kletzing and family, Betty Kobler, and Ed & Judy Krein.

Carolyn Harner, Prayer Team Coordinator

TRINITY ANGELS UPDATE

Did you know that Trinity Angels collects used cards for its ministry? Volunteers cut the beautiful images and wording from used cards and paste them on blank cards to make new ones. These cards are then mailed to our shut-ins and persons on the church prayer lists.

What a great ministry this has become! We are hearing and learning about the many positive responses from members and friends who have received our cards.

Won't you consider joining us? Call the church office at 386-734-4425 or email me to learn how. Also, if you do not have cards to donate but would like to make a contribution to offset mailing costs, simply make your check payable to the church then write " Trinity Angels Postage" in the memo line. Your gift can be placed in the offering plate any Sunday. Thank you and God bless!

Becky Hurlbert, Co-leader

If you do not personally know some or all of these ministry team leaders but want to contact them about volunteering, call the Church Office (386) 734-4425 to request an updated "People Directory."

Rev. Junius Dotson is the General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church. He recently penned an article that was written for church pastors and lay ministry leaders. What caught my eye (and Pastor Todd's) was his use of the word "Exciting!"

Here's a snippet of the article -

I love music! Do you? I like all kinds. Music fills my soul and gives me joy.

 

I remember a song from years ago, the disco era in fact, by the Pointer Sisters. The lyrics begin, “I’m so excited. And I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.”

 

Have you been “so excited” about people lately?

 

When we talk about engaging our communities, we have to create a vision to help our people get excited about all of God’s people . Part of the implementation of this vision will involve making our people courageous. It takes courage to get outside our safe church buildings with all our friends and risk engaging new people – people we don’t know.

Sound familiar? Bishop Carter has stated in his blogs and visionary initiatives about the need for leaders (both clergy and lay) of Florida Conference churches to be courageous and willing to unite congregations and empower people to do mission-type work in their communities. For, once we step outside the walls, that simple action is most empowering and VERY EXCITING!

Click HERE to read Dotson's entire article online.

Just thought you'd like to know ~

The Editor

Bishops call for new ways of embodying unity through mission, relationships

July 18, 2019

Statement from Kenneth H. Carter, Jr., president, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church: 

 

As a denomination, we are living in the tension between the actions of the Special Session in St. Louis in the winter, the decisions of Annual Conferences in the summer, and the prospect of another General Conference in ten months. In the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops this week, we acknowledged the great differences across our many annual conferences, and...

Click on this link to read the rest of Bishop Carter's statement

How much do you know about the Bible? Find out with this week's Bible Quiz and Crossword Puzzle .

GOD HAS ASKED US TO

GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND

MAKE DISCIPLES OF MEN, WOMEN

AND CHILDREN.

PLEASE JOIN WITH US ON THE JOURNEY!

306 W. Wisconsin Avenue

DeLand, Florida 32720