Greetings!

Are we a church that is a community of practice or one of pretend perfection? My vision of the church is that it is a place where people can discover their souls and connect with God. This takes practice. It is not always efficient and often very messy. When a child comes home and announces that they have decided to learn to play an instrument, your home is never the same again. Because from that moment on, you’ll have to listen to some of the greatest music massacred, brutalized, broken, and fragmented, as your child learns and struggles to play an instrument. For musicianship to grow takes a safe place to make mistakes and encouragement from the teacher. Musicians would never progress and learn in an environment of condemnation.

The same is true of the spiritual life. Faith is something we learn to play with the instrument of our beings. It takes time and practice. I believe that, at its best, the church is a place where we can hear all the mistakes and all the massacres of great theology. We can walk together, even in the missteps and messiness of life, and do so in a spirit of love and encouragement. Sadly, most churches try to grow faith through judgment and condemnation. It’s an attitude of rule following vs. love and encouragement to try again. As I learn to play the cello, I am aware of how bad I sound, but my teacher always encourages me. She says things like, “That was good, but try this.” Or, “You are making progress, keep it up!” At its best, the church is a place of encouragement and support - no matter where one is on his/her spiritual journey.

As we enter 2020, it is my greatest prayer that we are less of a church of pretend perfection and more a community of practice where we encourage, enable, empower, embolden, and inspire people to learn to play the instrument of their being. God is surely with us - but the best is yet to come!

I LOVE being your Pastor!

Todd

WORSHIP SERVICES FOR THE MONTH

This month, Pastor Todd will begin a sermon series called “Questions for God”. As you know, he has asked members and visitors throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons to write down any questions they have for God and post them on a board in the Fellowship Hall. It is now time to learn the most popular/significant questions submitted!

 

January 5th - Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? - Pastor Todd

Questions: If God is all powerful and all loving, then why does evil exist? Why do people suffer? Couldn’t God remove our suffering if God wanted to?  

Matthew 13: 24-30; 36-43

Jan 12th - Baptism of our Lord (We will invite everyone to remember their baptism as they come to the table for Communion.) John Campbell will be preaching and serve as celebrant at the Table.

Questions: Why do I need forgiveness? Doesn't God already know? Why can't I let go of my bad memories?

Jan 19 - Where did I put my hat? - Pastor Todd

Questions: Does Jesus really care if I get a good parking spot or not? How can God care for me and the entire universe at the same time? Is there a difference between sacred things and secular things?

Matthew 6:25-34

Jan 26 - What happens when I die? - Pastor Todd  

Questions: What will heaven look like? What will heaven be like? Will I see God and Jesus there? We have many questions about the end of life and what heaven will be like. Today we explore what the Bible says about heaven

Scripture: Luke 23:39-43

36-HOUR PRAYER VIGIL

To start off the new year, Trinity is going to set aside the first hours of the year by engaging in a 36-hour prayer vigil, leading up to our first worship service of 2020. The vigil will begin at 6 a.m. on January 2nd and end at 6 p.m. on January 3rd. We would like all the members of our church family to commit to one 30-minute shift where you will do nothing but pray. If you would like to pray for an hour, simply add a second shift.

Don't delay! Please use this link to register online or call the church office in the am. They can let you know what slots are still open. If you have already registered, thank you! And, if you are in need of a written guide to help you or a list of recent prayer requests, click on these links or call the offfice at 386-734-4425. Thanks again!

Pastor Todd and

Carolyn Harner, Prayer Team Coordinator

THANK YOU FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Dear Trinity Family,

Thank you for all the prayers, cards, and support during Jeff's illness and passing. I truly felt your love and support during the whole time.

He loved all of you and I deeply appreciate everyone being there for me and our family during this difficult time. We will be having his Celebration of Life on Saturday, January 25th at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Please join us - all are welcome.

Love,

Lori and the Hansard/Griffis Family

FINANCE REPORT

Give electronically? Now we have two ways!

Most of you know you can make your contributions to Trinity electronically by going to our website (www.trinitydeland.org) and selecting the Give Today tab. (FYI, Vanco is the name of the company that provides this service to our church.)

Now Trinity offers a 2 ^nd method to give electronically. On your smartphone, download the app Give+Plus . No need to set up a new account. You use the same email and password that you currently use to access our website giving portal in order to login and link the app with your account. You can make your contribution either a one-time gift or set up as recurring. For now, you can choose to direct your gift to one of four different funds: General Operating, Building Fund, UMCOR, or the Florida UM Children’s Home.

Now is the best time to check/update your profile and pledge. If you use online giving and the amount of your 2020 pledge differs from your 2019 pledge, you will need to adjust your recurring contribution for the new year.

If you ever need assistance with your existing Vanco account or setting up a new one, please call me at 386-747-8988.

Mark Moor, Treasurer

STAFF-PARISH RELATIONS REPORT

Thank you so very much for your generous contributions to the Love Offering collected for all employees at the end of 2019. Every staff member expressed their deepest gratitude and thanks!

Sincerely,

The Staff Parish Relations Committee

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.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES

Youth Schedule for January

Regular Youth - January 5

Regular Youth - January 12th

Roller Skating - January 19th

Regular Youth - January 26th

Special Events for January & February

Wednesday, Jan. 22nd - Bubbles and Balloon Fun Day

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Bubbles, balloon volleyball, balloon tennis, and waddle races. Every age will have fun. Popcorn and water will be available.

Saturday, February 1st - Me Strong 5k Run/Walk

8:00 a.m.

Trinity children and youth are invited to be a part of the church's water station and cheering squad. See me for details.

Sunday, February 2nd - Souper Bowl of Caring

During both worship services, Trinity Youth will be collecting canned and dry soup/food donations in the Narthex. Bring a canned item or contribution to support the Florida United Methodist Children's Home.

Lori Hansard,

Director of Youth

WOMEN'S MINISTRIES

The Susanna Circle

The Susanna Circle meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30. In January, our very special Candle Lighting Program will be held at the home of Judy Ross. All women of the church are invited. We have a mixture of interesting programs and service projects. We will be feeding the homeless at First Methodist in May. With our collected monies, we sent gifts to UMCOR for Hurricane Relief, JFON (Justice for our Neighbors), and the Good Samaritan Clinic. We are a busy bunch of Christian women.  

OUTREACH MINISTRIES

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

REJOICE! Through the compassion and generosity of our church family, we made monetary contributions to 15 groups totalling over $17,000 in 2019! Thank you so very, very much!!

Dee Miller, Coordinator

CITRUS GROVE PARTNERSHIP

Citrus Grove Elementary (our church-school partner) will hold its annual Family Fun Run on Saturday, February 29th. Visit the school's website to register as a runner or walker.

Trinity is a sponsor of this event and we will have a table to meet/greet folks and share information about the church. We also will have a "water stop/cheering squad" along the race route. Both places will need a number of volunteers. If you would like to serve as a volunteer, call the church office or send an email noting your interest to [email protected].

Trinity Outreach Team

MENTORS and VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED FOR CITRUS GROVE CHILDREN

There are 18 students at Citrus Grove who need/want someone to listen to them, smile at them, laugh with them and love them - unconditionally. These students are all in foster care. (Four (4) of them are from one family because they lost their mother this past summer due to a car accident.)

Dana Copes, the school's counselor, would love to pair you with a boy or girl, depending on which gender you would prefer. Extra love and support for these children is critical and 30 minutes a week is all it takes. Ages range from K-5 ^th grade, but the majority are in Kindergarten and first grade.

The school is also looking for "retired grandmas and grandpas" who would like to visit classrooms to read to students and encourage and listen to them read in small groups.

Please prayerfully consider these special gifts - that only you can give. To learn more about how to become a mentor or classroom volunteer, contact us. We would love to tell you all about our experiences and the joy that we get out of every minute we spend with "our kids".

Anita and John Campbell

YOUNG AT HEART MINISTRY

The next Young at Heart (YAH) luncheon will be held on Tuesday, January 14th. Designed for men and women over the age of 55, this vibrant ministry program will feature a great lunch prepared by our Kitchen Team and a program presented by local mental health counselors who will address "Aging and Your Mental Health".

Lunch will be served in the Fellowship Hall. Time to start is 11:30 a.m. All YAH events are open to the public. Cost of the lunch is $7 and paid reservations are required in advance of the event. To reserve seats, CLICK HERE TO PRE-REGISTER. Just know, the office must receive your payment by noon on Monday, December 9.

Never been to a YAH luncheon? First-time attendees can enjoy a complimentary meal. Complimentary tickets/bookmarks can be found in the church office or on the shelf outside the sanctuary. First-time guests must turn in a completed ticket/bookmark and make a reservation, as well.

Still have a question or want to make a reservation, call the church office at 386-734-4425 or email us at [email protected].

We hope to see you at the next YAH event!

John and Anita Campbell

JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH

The following events are open to the public to attend:

January 6, 6:30 p.m.: River City Presbyterian Church in DeBary is sponsoring an event, ONE PURSE.  One Purse is an Orlando-based non-profit organization founded by Heather Case. Monies from the purses go toward providing academic scholarships to human trafficking survivors. In 2017, 37 scholarships were given; in 2018, 85 were given.

To help with this event, we need gently used or like-new purses to be donated during December. Do you have some of these in your closet that you no longer use? Call Lana Saxon, 736-1008, if you would like to donate.

Please plan on attending this event and finding yourself a new purse. Visit https://onepurse.org to learn more.

All events posted on facebook.com/freedom7taskforce. Call us for more info.

Lana Saxon and Susan Largen, H.O.P.E. Team members

Breakfast at Trinity

Our December breakfast closed out our 8th year of having a monthly Breakfast at Trinity. We had 83 adults and 3 children in attendance. In addition to a good breakfast, our guests were treated to a Christmas story devotional, homemade cookies, bags of candy, Mr. Bill's donuts, and welcoming smiles. We gave away 31 blankets; 25 of those were donated by the Together Class in memory of Betty Cunningham. We also gave away toiletries, clothes, batteries, and bus passes—many benefactors make all this possible—how we thank you all! Our volunteers, many from Trinity and some from our community, totaled 27.

 

It's always heartwarming to find out how our Breakfast has helped others. A women living in her car was helped to get to Daytona to a shelter. She now has a permanent room she is renting in an 8 bedroom house. She was so thankful for our help.   

   We always get many thanks for the good breakfasts. For us, the volunteers, we receive a blessing too. New volunteers are always welcome, so come join us on January 24 for our next Breakfast.

Lana Saxon, Chairman

Sneakers for Kids

Trinity had the opportunity to help two sisters with sneakers and clothes in November. They were much in need and very thankful for our help. Our Big Buy should happen in March. Thank you, Trinity, for supporting Sneakers for Kids at Citrus Grove Elementary.

Lana Saxon, Coordinator

UPDATE ON FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR MAIA CARR AND JESSICA FULLER TO GO TO GUATEMALA

Dear Trinity Family,

THANKS TO YOU ALL - Maia and I have reached our goal with ease! And other donations are still arriving, as we start our packing. Bless you for your generosity and love. Now, as we prepare for our trip, we just ask for prayers of safe travel. We will leave early Saturday, January 4th and return on the afternoon of January 12th.

We plan to report back to you upon our return. Thanks again!

Love,

Jessica Fuller and Maia Carr

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

We have just celebrated the miracle of all miracles--the eternal God becoming like us in order that we might become like Him! With the aura of Christmas still lingering and our faith and belief deepened in the knowledge of God’s great love for all mankind, we enter into a brand new year. We will begin it at Trinity by immersing ourselves in prayer.

Pastor Todd has invited us to participate in a 36-Hour Prayer Vigil to pray for our families, our church and our community. As a convenience so everyone can participate, he is asking that we pray at home or a place of our choice, rather than coming to the Sanctuary. This will enable us to pray around the clock for 36 hours beginning at 6:00 a.m. on January 2 and ending at 6:00 p.m. January 3. Pastor has provided three prayer wheels with ½ hour time slots between each spoke. These are available for you to sign up at church or you can go online to the church website to sign up. Prayer guides are available.

What a great way to begin the new year. What a great way to make Trinity an exciting church and a beacon of light in our community. What a great way to glorify the Trinity…Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

We continue to pray each month for the members and friends of Trinity in the church directory. In January please pray for:

Miro & Eli Pamoukov (our Building Manager), Troy, Jennifer, Olivia & Alyssa Panda, Martha Parissi, Genny Patrick, Mike, Kim & Michael Pertler

Carolyn Harner, Prayer Team Coordinator

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

The East Central District has two incredible campus ministries making a huge impact in the lives of young adults. Stetson Wesley and Wesley at UCF rely on fundraising to make their budget. In 2020, please consider making an online donation to support their efforts.

Save these dates to your calendar -

How much do you know about the Bible? Find out with this month's

 Bible Quiz and Crossword Puzzle .

GOD HAS ASKED US TO

GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND

MAKE DISCIPLES FOR JESUS.

PLEASE JOIN WITH US ON THE JOURNEY!

306 W. Wisconsin Avenue

DeLand, Florida 32720