Worship With Us at Trinity Church

Sunday, 3 December

The First Sunday of Advent

Holy Eucharist Rite II

8:00 AM in the Church

10:00 AM in the Church and

live-streamed via YouTube

Trinity Church YouTube

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Introducing Tom Villano

NC and NE Region Convocation - 2 December

8 AM Worship in Advent - Beginning 3 December

Observing Advent - Family Forum - 3 December

O Antiphons - 3 December

Trinity's Giving Tree

Godly Play Dates for Nov / Dec / Jan

Manger Scenes

Outside Work Day - 9 December

Greening of the Church - 17 December

Christmas Music / Flowers Donation

Holy Land Giving Tree

Advent and Christmas Services Schedule 2023

New Music Season at Trinity - 2023 / 2024

Prayer List Requests

Special Prayer Requests

Calendar

News from the Diocese - November Newsletters

Introducing Tom Villano

We are happy to welcome Tom to Trinity as our Financial Manager. Tom will generally be in the office M-Th, 9 am-1 pm and can be reached via email at finance at trinityhartford.org and by phone at 860-665-9971 ext. 206.

Jesus says: “love one another”

In our call to love and serve all people, please come and join your NC & NE Region Leadership Teams

as we come together to talk about church in the 21st century. Our conversations will be guided by the following four themes:

1. from leaders to left out - seasons of involvement

2. formation - all ages in all places

3. the care and feeding of our clergy

4. where can I find what I need on our ECCT website

In addition, we will also have time for worship and conversation with Bishops Jeff and Laura!

Please register and join us! Registration and more information can be found here.

8:00 am Worship in Advent

During the season of Advent the 8:00 am service will be Morning Prayer with Homily. 

Observing Advent

Family Forum – Sunday, 3 October !

Our society is so focused on Christmas that it gets harder every year to make room for observing Advent. Yet skipping Advent and moving straight into celebrating Christmas is a little like fast food – it may fill you up, but you won’t get the nourishment from it that really sustains you.

After the 10 o’clock Eucharist on December 3, we will gather in the Library to discuss how we can enrich our experience of Advent. To help, we will be providing a family-friendly Advent Devotional Booklet for all who want them. The theme of the devotions is “Naming Jesus,” and it explores the connection between the names we call Jesus - Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, and more - and the love and justice he calls us to practice every day.

Join to share your own Advent practices and to consider how this new devotional resource might be used in your family. Even if you can’t join us then, please be sure to pick up a copy of the Naming Jesus Devotional Booklet.

O Antiphons

This reflective Advent program of choral and organ works is modeled after a tradition that dates back to the 6th century in Italy. The seven “O Antiphons” are represented most commonly in each of the verses of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This service is similar to a Lessons & Carols program, with musical responses to scripture passages as we approach the Christmas season.

Trinity's 2023 "Giving Tree"

Is Here!

This Advent, we are continuing Trinity's tradition of a “Giving Tree” - a tree set up in the Sanctuary, loaded with tags that list wishes from students at Trinity Academy and children from the Adopt-A-Social Worker program of Covenant to Care. 

Our tree is up, with tags for each of the children. Parishioners who wish to participate may chose a tag this Sunday, purchase the item and place the gift under the tree by Sunday 12/10. We are committed to these children, and it is important that gifts be returned by this date so that they may be distributed. 

With only 1 week to shop for and return the gifts, our elves will be busy! Please mark your calendars and plan to join in this festive event.

Questions? Please contact Penny Pearson.

Godly Play Dates for November / December / January

November 12, 19, 26

December 10, 17, 31  (No Godly Play on Christmas Eve)

January 14, 28

Manger Scenes for the Christmas Season at Trinity

A tradition at Trinity Church is decorating the windowsills in our nave with manger scenes (also called creches or nativities). Before and during the season of Advent, we invite people to bring in manger scenes. You are welcome to loan or to donate creches. These may be old family pieces; they may be newly acquired. We are especially interested in a variety of ethnic heritages and/or national traditions and in various styles of art and design. Please consider adding your touch of color to our display as we celebrate the Incarnation of the Word in human flesh and family.

The Trinity Flower Guild has responsibility for seasonal decorations in the church. We are happy to receive gifts of nativity sets, which we will store and use again in following years. We also welcome the loan of manger scenes which you take back home after the Epiphany celebration. If you have questions please contact George Chien or Percy Williamson, Flower Guild Coordinators.

Outside Work Day – 9 December

The last of the outside work days for 2023 will take place on Saturday, December 9^th at 9:00 am. Any help is truly appreciated!

Questions: Contact Peter Green.

The Greening of the Church

People look east, the time is near,

of the crowning of the year.

Make your house fair as you are able,

trim the hearth and set the table.

People look east and sing today:

Love, the guest, is on the way.

~~Eleanor Farjeon

This year on the Third Sunday of Advent, after the 10 AM service, the Nave of Trinity Church is transformed from Advent Blue to a festal display of red, white, gold, and green. There are banners to be changed, wreathes and garlands to be hung, and much more. Many volunteer hands and hearts help this joyful work to go forward quickly. Please plan on Sunday, the 17th of December, to get your after-church coffee and refreshments and then join us in the Nave to prepare the space for the celebrations that will follow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

 If you would like to contribute to the 2023 Christmas flowers and music in memory of a friend or family member, or as an offering of thanksgiving, please fill out the form here and send it to the parish office, along with your check, by Monday, December 18. Checks, which may be for any amount, should be made payable to Trinity Church and earmarked “Christmas Memorials.” Names of those in whose memory contributions have been made will be listed in the Christmas Eve bulletins.

Holy Land Giving Tree 2023

Remembering the Holy Land at this time of year is very important for our Anglican faith. However, with the recent events there and the chaos of war, I didn’t have the heart to set up a pretty tree. Things there are not pretty. Therefore, I hope you will consider sending your own donation to AFEDJ (The American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem) with Ahli Hospital in the memo. No amount is too small. Please send those checks to AFEDJ at 25 Old Kings Highway North, Suite 13 Darien, CT 06820. Credit Cards can be used through the website: www.afedj.org For an update on the ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, go to Recent News/Current Updates or Newsletters on the AFEDJ website. Archbishop Hosam thanks you for your assistance and continued prayers.

Kate Smith, Kate48smith at comcast.net

Special Music Events at Trinity Episcopal Church

2023 - 2024

Beginning with the return of Pipescreams on Friday, October 27, there are many musical offerings that will take place at Trinity Church over the 2023 - 2024 program year.

From a collaboration with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet in November to an April presentation of birdsong-inspired choral and organ works ushering in Spring, and concerts and choral programs in between, click here to review the complete listing and add the dates to your calendar!

Special Prayer Requests

A member of our parish, Jacqui Lucier has advanced kidney disease and is in need of a transplant.

As we pray for Jacqui, we also ask that you prayerfully consider being screened as a potential kidney donor. For more information about living organ donation and to sign up to be screened, please visit nkr.org/SBB483. Please encourage your friends and family to consider donor screening.

To hear Jacqui talk about her illness and need for a transplant, watch this clip that has aired on local news.

News from the Diocese

Click the links below to read up on what's going on in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, and in our North Central Region.

ECCT Newsletter - November 22, 2023

North Central Region Monthly Missive - November 2023