Trinity Church Weekly Trumpeter

But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” ~ Matthew 14:27

8/06/20 Dear Trinity Church, Last night, we gathered for our first Outdoor Prayer and Communion Service! It was a beautiful night as we gathered together on our courtyard to celebrate the sacrament of communion together. While our gathering looked a little different--we were all masked and socially distanced, it was such a blessing to gather in person. As you know, we have not been able to celebrate communion together since March. The scriptures remind us that the sacrament of communion is one of the ways we are brought into the body of Christ as the body of Christ. It is an outward sign of an inward grace and I was so blessed to be able to share in communion with you all. I want to say a special word of thank you to Gordon Johnson, who led us in music! We also recognized that this is a learning process and we are very open to your feedback and suggestions! I recognize these gatherings won’t be for everyone and I hope you will use your best judgment about your participation. We will plan to gather each Wednesday evening at 8 PM throughout August.  To register, sign up here! I want to give you a reminder of a few ways that you can give back this month. The first is that our Drive through Drop Off Food Drive for Rising Hope Mission Church continues this month! This month, we will be collecting items on Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon at the Cameron Mills Parking lot. Rising Hope is looking for non-perishable food items (canned meats,pasta, canned tomato products, cereal, coffee, peanut butter, jelly) as well as personal hygiene items (toothpaste, deodorant). In addition, while our regular Trinity Blood Drive has been postponed for the time being, we do want to encourage you to consider donating at one of Inova’s three donor centers. You can visit www.inovablood.org or call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256- 6372) to schedule an appointment or for more information.  This Sunday we are blessed to have Hannah Day Donoghue lead us in worship through preaching and worship leadership! As part of her message, she will share a bit more about how our youth have been living out their faith through Confirmation and the Youth Mission Week. While this summer didn’t look anything like we expected, the Holy Spirit was active and alive in our midst and I hope you will join me on Sunday to worship and celebrate these ministries! Our scriptures are Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 and Matthew 14:22-33 and the sermon is entitled “Into Turbulent Waters.” Peace,

Pastor Grace

In August, we will be hosting Outdoor Prayer and Communion Services! Each Wednesday at 8 PM, we will meet in our Courtyard (the grassy area between the Parsonage and the Church) for a Prayer and Communion service. You are invited to bring your lawn chairs to sit comfortably, or feel free to stand! All participants will need to fill out a Health Acknowledgement form, wear a mask, and practice appropriate social distancing. We are limiting registration to 30 participants each Wednesday. At this point, please have each attendee sign up for ONE service. We will add services as the month continues! You can sign up here! For questions contact our Office Manager, Jenessa Stokes in the Church Office.

Join the Trinity Prayer Chain: During times of trial and uncertainty, we pray to grow in our faith and encourage one another. To respond to our growing prayer needs, we will be starting an email prayer chain to share our prayer concerns with one another. We will share joys as well as concerns and needs. If you are interested in being part of this prayer chain, please email prayer@trinityalexandria.org to participate.

Sign up for Text Alerts from Trinity! We are working on improving our communications! One way we’d like to connect with you is to be able to send you texts alerts with updates about the church. Especially in a season of time sensitive changes, we want to be able to communicate with you quickly and easily. To receive text messages, sign up here!

Worship Online this Sunday: While we aren’t meeting in person, we will be worshiping online via livestream on Trinity’s Facebook Live and through our our website. Each Saturday evening, we will send out an email with links to the worship sites and the bulletin for worship that Sunday. This Sunday, we will invite you to be intentional about finding a space in your home to worship and to be truly present in a time of worship. For additional questions about how to worship online, please contact the Church Office.

Fellowship Time via ZOOM on Sunday after Church: After worship on Sunday morning, we invite you to a time of fellowship via Zoom led by our Program Director Hannah Day Donoghue! This will be a time for us to connect after worship, check-in, and to have a time of conversation about worship. We will include a link for this Zoom call on the Saturday Worship email. For additional questions, contact Hannah.

Drive-through Food Drive for Rising Hope Mission Church:  As more and more people are out of work, the demand on food pantries has increased exponentially. Rising Hope Mission Church, one of our ministry partners, is looking for non-perishable food items (canned meats, pasta, canned tomato products, cereal, coffee, peanut butter, jelly) as well as personal hygiene items (toothpaste, deodorant). Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon, we are hosting a drive through drop off food drive. Just come by the church parking lot (off Cameron Mills). For the sake of safety for all involved, we ask you to stay in your car, so we can have people drop off food one at a time. For additional questions, contact Mary Gillman. For future food drive dates, please see here.

Inova Blood Drive: Want to do something to help people during the COVID-19 crisis? Missing the Trinity Semi-Annual Blood Drive? We are all in this together! Every day over 200 blood donors are needed to give patients a chance to heal.  Help fight area blood shortages by donating at one of Inova’s three donor centers or contact Inova to set up an event with your local neighborhood association. Visit us here or call 1-866-BLOODSAVES to schedule an appointment or for more information. To learn more about COVID-19 precautions Inova is taking click here.

The Lazarus Food Pantry is looking for delivery volunteers. In partnership with Trinity, Fairlington UMC, and ALIVE! the Christ Church Lazarus Ministry has been delivering groceries, Monday through Saturday to Alexandria families in need. Volunteers pick up pre-packed bags of groceries at Trinity and then deliver to around 3 families each time. The date and time of deliveries is flexible. Clients are asked to meet the volunteer outside for a contact-free hand off. For more information, contact Liz Denson.

Centering Prayer Centering Prayer meets weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, via Zoom. Centering Prayer is a 20 minute practice to sit in quiet prayer to make ourselves open to God. A reading is shared by the leader with a short discussion prior to the prayer time. For more information contact, Alva Smircina.

Tithes and offerings may be sent to Trinity via normal mail (checks only) or via the online donation portal on Trinity's website. (click on "Giving" in the top right corner). You may make online donations directly from your checking account with no check required to be mailed. This will help us immensely as our office will have limited hours to receive and process the checks. However, you may still give by mailing a check - whatever donation you want to provide will be very welcome. We also have the capability to give by text. Just send a text that says “Give”  to:  703-783-3034. If you want more information on giving by texting works read on: Step 1. Text the word “Give” - to 703-783-3034. Don’t worry - nothing will be charged to you until you enter your credit card or bank information. Step 2. You will receive a text back to you saying, “It looks like you are a new giver ; to begin (a link to the text giving site will appear), click on it. Step 3: A form will appear that will clearly say “Trinity United Methodist Church” at the top left. It will ask you to fill in the following information: Amount you want to give and the fund you want to give to. How you want to give - credit card or direct deposit from your bank (called ACH bank transfer) If you select credit card, it will ask for your name, address, email address and credit card information.   If you select ACH - it will ask for you name, address, email address and bank routing and bank account information At the bottom you can select one time gift or a recurring period. Suggest you select one time gift for the first time.  That is it. Then click on Donate Now! If you made a mistake or change your mind - no worries just send the word “refund" to the same number the last amount you sent them will be refunded to you!  Also you can send the word “commands” that will give you a list of options on how to change your account or update your giving amounts. If all else fails - please contact Rich McKinney. Thank you again for your giving - no matter how you give!

Things to know this week: Sunday, August 9th: Tenth Sunday After Pentecost       11:00 AM              Worship at via Facebook Live and Trinity Website       12:00 PM              Fellowship Time via Zoom Wednesday, August 12th       6:00 PM                 Centering Prayer at via Zoom       8:00 PM                 Outdoor Prayer and Communion Services Thursday, August 13th       8:30 PM                 Chancel Choir Rehearsal via Zoom   Saturday, August 15th       10:00 AM                 Rising Hope Drive Through Food Drive   Sunday, August 16th: Tenth Sunday After Pentecost       11:00 AM                Worship at via Facebook Live and Trinity Website       12:00 PM                 Fellowship Time via Zoom

City of Alexandria COVID-19 Update: To see the latest news release click here. COVID-19 Emergency Services Info: If you are looking for emergency services information related to COVID-19, Act for Alexandria is a good source of information. The website link is www.actforalexandria.org or call them at 703-739-7778. Their website has information on emergency resources as well as valuable webinars. They have resources for individuals as well as organizations dealing with COVID-19 as well as other needs in Alexandria. For information specific to older adults, contact the City’s Division of Aging and Adult Services at 703-746-5999 or www.alexandriava.gov/aging. Alexandria Police Department Warns of Phone Scam: The Alexandria Police Department is aware of a telephone scam targeting people who are asked to provide money to remove criminal charges. Individuals have reported receiving phone calls from someone falsely using the identity of an Alexandria sworn police employee. In the scam, the caller uses the name of a sworn officer, and advises that there are warrants for the subject’s arrest. The caller provides instructions on how to pay a large sum of money, then passes the victim on to another person to explain a “surety voucher.” The Alexandria Police Department does not make such calls and will never request money over the phone. If you receive such a call, immediately hang up. Do not provide the caller with any information and do not answer any questions. If you are the victim of this scam and have been defrauded of money, please report it to the Alexandria Police Department by calling 703.746.4444 or by contacting the law enforcement agency where you live. City of Alexandria’s Frozen Meals Home Delivery Program for Older Adults 60 and above: This program is sponsored by the City of Alexandria Dept. of Community and Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, Senior Services of Alexandria and Jeffery’s Catering for eligible individuals who are City of Alexandria residents aged 60 or above, their spouses, or an individual with a disability, regardless of age, who resides with a program recipient aged 60 or above; have difficulty getting food and are homebound because of COVID-19. Frozen meals are delivered twice a week as follows between 10:30am and 12:30 pm (note that delivery days are subject to change) 6 meals are delivered on Mondays 8 meals are delivered on Thursdays. For more information call the Division of Aging at 703-746-5999 or click here. Senior Services of Alexandria’s Groceries to Go Program: In partnership with Giant Foods and Safeway, Senior Services of Alexandria provides a grocery delivery program to seniors who are 60+ living in the City of Alexandria. Through the Groceries to Go Program, screened volunteers deliver groceries year-round to seniors every other week. Groceries are ordered based off the grocery recipient’s personal shopping list. There are no delivery fees, and no minimum order requirements. This is a great option for older adults to keep safe at home during the pandemic. Volunteers follow the COVID-19 health protocols in delivering groceries to clients. To find out more about the program contact Sandy Freedman at .    City of Alexandria’s Workforce Development: The Office of Workforce Development publishes a newsletter to keep residents informed about their upcoming learning sessions and job fairs for older adults. If you would like to register to receive this newsletter click here. (Excerpt from a City of Alexandria’s News Release July 30, 2020) Medicaid Assistance Updates: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in the demand for Medicaid assistance since March. To comply with the federal “Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Virginia Medicaid has adopted policies to protect Medicaid subscribers from losing coverage, and implemented strategies to make the application process more efficient. Most significantly, no Virginia resident’s Medicaid coverage will be canceled or closed for any reason, for the duration of the COVID-19 health emergency. The City has also compiled a list of resources available for individuals receiving Medicaid, which is available in multiple languages, or can be translated into 11 other languages using the “Translate” button at the top right corner of the page.  Legal Services of Northern Virginia is a local non-profit interest law firm that provides free legal advice to persons age 60 and older and to low-income residents of Northern Virginia. For information click here.    Alexandria Workforce Development Center Hosts a Meet the Employer Event featuring the Senior Community Services Employment Center: Are you 55 and over, unemployed and looking for work? You may be eligible for a stipend while training, job searching & skill-building at a local non-profit. Meet the Staff from the Northern Virginia Senior Community Services Employment Program to learn more! This event will be held on Thursday, August 13th from 1:00 - 2:00 PM and it's FREE! Click here to register.     Tips for Safety and Emergency Preparedness - In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias, we are reminded that preparing for the unexpected is a good way to stay level headed in the event of an urgent situation. Here are some tips on creating an emergency kit and keeping your loved one safe in an emergency.  Power outages happen year round. If the lights went out today are the flashlights nearby and working? Checking your supply and life of batteries regularly will help you be prepared if the lights go out.   If you must shelter at home enough shelf stable food, water and medications are necessary. The National Institute on Aging recommends at least 3-7 days of basic emergency supplies. If you must shelter at home enough shelf stable food, water and medications are necessary. The National Institute on Aging recommends at least 3-7 days of basic emergency supplies.  Changes in routine may increase agitation for a person diagnosed with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association advises that in an emergency situation, you remain calm and try to redirect your loved one. Moving to a quieter area and responding to your loved one’s feelings by providing reassurance may also help.   For more information on safety and emergency preparedness click here.

The Welcome Statement of Trinity United Methodist Church is: "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." ~ Matthew  10:40   Trinity United Methodist Church is committed to be a congregation of Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors. We believe all people are of sacred worth and dignity as part of God's creation and as demonstrated by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. As God's love extends to all, we welcome everyone without exception, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, family structure, socio-economic or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental ability, faith history or life experience. We recognize that we are all different, and those  differences make us a stronger community of faith as we worship together to grow in our relationship with God and one another.   The Mission of Trinity United Methodist Church is: Building a strong Christian community to find, share, and celebrate the love of Christ in our hearts, neighbors and our world.