Hello The Church of the Holy Trinity,!

Febuary 3rd, 2023 | Ordinary Time

February is Black History Month, and Philadelphia is a city that has been heavily influenced by the efforts of great Black innovators (see information on the Reverend Absalom Jones in the main section of the enews!) Visit Philadelphia has compiled a helpful guide of all the events happening in the city meant to celebrate and educate us on the important and too often overlooked history the Black community.

Pardon Our Mess!

As we continue to rebuild and restore our wonderful space together, there will be active construction happening at the church. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the work being done, please feel free to reach out to us! We have added a page to our website about the work we are doing. We have added some more information since last week. Take a look here.

We’re Hiring: Front Desk Receptionist

The Church of the Holy Trinity is looking for outgoing, people-oriented and fearless folks to welcome visitors, parishioners, vendors, and neighbors into our space each week. We are open to the public, which means you will encounter people from all walks of life, from all over the world, and with all kinds of experiences and needs. You will also experience the joy of others when they see the inside of the church for the first time!

We are looking for people who can work regular shifts each week (same time, same day). Current hours are M-Th 10-3, but we will likely expand to Fridays and Saturdays beginning in March or April. Duties will include: answering phones, and welcoming visitors and vendors at the front desk. Please send a resume and letter of interest to applications@htrit.org.

What's Happening at CHT

CELEBRATING THE REV. ABSALOM JONES

Reverend Absalom Jones, born November 7, 1746 and passed on February 13, 1818, was a former slave who, frustrated by the discrimination and segregation in his own Episcopal church, eventually opened up the African Episcopal Church of Philadelphia. It was the first Black Episcopal church to be opened in the city. He later went on to be the first Black priest ordained in the Episcopal church in 1802. He is listed in the calendar of saints and is celebrated on the day of his death, February 13th. Please read the letter below from the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, Daniel G.P Gutierrez, on some upcoming events that will be taking place in honor of Reverend Jones:

"My Siblings in Christ,

The Rev. Absalom Jones was born into slavery and became the first Black priest ordained in The Episcopal Church - right here in our diocese. Next week, we celebrate the life of Absalom Jones with two events in our diocese.

On Sunday, February 5 at 10 a.m. the Presiding Bishop, the Very Rev. Michael Curry, will travel to The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas to join me for a service in Absalom’s honor.

On Saturday, February 11 at 9 a.m., we will celebrate Blessed Absalom with a service that includes preaching from the Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, bishop of the Diocese of Vermont, and NAACP Nominated Pine Forge Academy Choir. Lunch will be served so please register ahead of time. Acolytes from every church in the diocese are invited to process with their banners at this special diocesan-wide service. Please click here to let us know your acolytes will be participating. .

In addition, I am requesting that Absalom’s propers be substituted for the normal readings on Sunday, 2/12. You can find them here . A group of people in the diocese also created this discussion guide to learn more about his life.

Please join me in commemorating this great and beloved son of our diocese.

Bishop Daniel"

Connect with Your Community and Faith by Volunteering with Us!

You may have already received an e-mail from us in regards to taking our survey on interest in volunteering opportunities. If you missed it, however, please consider taking the survey found below. The Congregational Life Committee is looking to gauge interest from the congregation in filling different roles. This is not an official sign-up sheet, but just a way to connect with folks who are interested! We are currently looking for congregants to join the ushering team, occasionally bring snacks to after-Service coffee hour, help with special events, and help with our Shrove Tuesday Event on February 21st. We hope to hear from you, volunteering with us is a simple way to practice your faith while connecting with your CHT community!

Take Our Quick Survey

NEXT KNITTING CIRCLE FEBUARY 16TH!

We had a peaceful evening in the Sanctuary yesterday knitting hats for our Open Hearts Cafe guests! The knitting circle plans to meet again Thursday, February 16th at 6:30pm. Beginners are welcome, and knitting materials are provided. Please reach out to us at communications@htrit.org for more information. We hope to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE- ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday will take place on Febuary 22nd. As usual, we will be having a noon and 6 pm service. If you haven't already, please let us know which Service you plan on attending by clicking the button below.

Survey

Worship at CHT

The Fifth Sunday after

The Epiphany

Livestreaming & In-Person

Holy Eucharist

Sunday at 11am

To Participate in Online Worship:

To keep everyone safe, we will be live-streaming worship at 11:00 am on Sundays on Facebook. If you do not have a Facebook account or prefer not to visit the site, you can always watch the service on the front page of the website. You can also view this worship at any time after it uploads on FB or YouTube. To go directly to the Facebook page, you can click the button below. A digital copy of the bulletin is also available below, and can always be found again on our website.

For In-Person Attendance: Masks will be optional at this time. We ask that you continue to give space to those around you, and be respectful of the choices others make. And don't forget - if you need a mask, we have them in all shapes and sizes, just ask!

Digital Bulletin

Online Worship

Weekday Morning Prayer

9:am

Monday-Friday

Join us each morning online for live and interactive morning prayer. Click here to participate.

Open Hearts Cafe

4:30 pm

Sundays & Tuesdays

Care for your community with wide-open hearts. Help hundreds stay clothed and fed each week by donating your time to CHT's outreach ministry. Read more below or click here .

Childcare Services

10:30 am-1:30 pm

Sundays

Every week, 2 of our WONDERFUL Child Care workers will be in the back of the church waiting to meet you! Come on in for some quiet worship time for you and fun playtime for your kids. All ages are welcome!

Weekly Schedule

Helping Hands

There are all kinds of ways you can get involved at the church – from home, in-person, even from afar! We might not all be able to get together, but we can all lend a hand and share our gifts! Check out this space each week for new opportunities:

HELP US LIVE-STREAM OUR SERVICES!

CHT is looking for anyone interested in helping us live-stream our services to Facebook on days our Tech & Media Specialist is not available. This includes operating audio and visual equipment connected to our microphones and cameras. No experience is necessary, just an interest in learning how to operate our equipment! Teens and adults are welcome! If you are interested in learning, please reach out to us at communications@htrit.org.

WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF MUSIC!

CHT is looking to start a children’s choir this fall! We will be focusing on youth in grades 3-8. Anyone interested should reach out to our Director of Music, Donald Meineke, at dmeineke@htrit.org for more information!

WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS!

We are rebuilding our Acolyte Team for the fall. Crucifers, Torch Bearers, & Sacristans are a crucial piece of helping our liturgies be the best they can be! All adults and school-aged children from 5^th grade and above are invited to join. Contact Director of Music, Donald Meineke, for more information. dmeineke@htrit.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We're always looking for more hands to help out at our food and clothing ministry, Open Hearts Cafe! Are you ready to give with wide-open hearts?

Click here to sign up!

Every Sunday and Tuesday at 4 pm.

Open to all ages 16 and older (or accompanied by an adult).

Homeless Advocacy Project at Open Hearts

The Homeless Advocacy Project, an organization that helps provide homeless individuals with free legal help, has been joining the Open Hearts Cafe once a month to talk to our guests. They help with essential issues like identity documents, disability benefits, veteran benefits, and family concerns. To learn more about them, you can click here.

Thank You For Giving With Wide Open Hearts!

Our Current Needs Are As Follows:

Lotion
Hand sanitizer
Mens gloves
Mens Layering material!
COATS/BOOTS
A phone for our guest Cordell.

OPEN HEARTS CAFE MERCH

Some of the Open Hearts Cafe volunteers have designed a crewneck sweater to help support their work providing meals, clothing, and other types of support to those in need. The crewnecks come in sizes s-2xl and are $40, or $30 for those who have volunteered or donated before. To purchase, please donate the suggested amount at https://onrealm.org/CHT/-/form/give/SUNDAYMEALtext and send a screenshot to Gabe Buyske at gbuyskefriedberg@gmail.com. If you need help please reach out to us at communications@htrit.org!