DURING THIS TIME: APRIL 2021
| during_this_time_at_trinity_-_april_2021.pdf |
DURING THIS TIME: MARCH 2021
| during_this_time_at_trinity_-_march_2021.pdf |
DURING THIS TIME: FEBRUARY 2021
| during_this_time_at_trinity_-_february_2021.pdf |
DURING THIS TIME: OCTOBER 2020
God of mercy, you have blessed us beyond our dreams;
you have set before us promises and perils
beyond our understanding;
help us to struggle and pray
that the perils may be averted and your promises fulfilled.
you have set before us promises and perils
beyond our understanding;
help us to struggle and pray
that the perils may be averted and your promises fulfilled.
-from A New Zealand Prayer Book
- We will not gather for indoor worship for the foreseeable future. Our sanctuary lacks proper ventilation and is not large enough to gather safely even for a short service.
- This is our Sunday schedule for October and November:
- 8 am Outdoor service of Holy Communion in the parking lot
- 9 am Morning Prayer on Zoom [as we have been doing]
- 9:30 am – 10 am Zoom Coffee Hour
- 9:45 am Zoom Sunday School begins with a Children’s Prayer and Homily
- 10am – 10:30 am Zoom Sunday School Class
- 10:30am -11:30 am Distribution of Holy Communion to individuals in the church
- Sunday afternoon - Home Communion for those who request it
- We will plan for a virtual service of Holy Communion in addition to Morning Prayer on Sundays beginning in December.
- On the third Sunday of each month, the Wardens and Vestry members will assist in leading worship and will lead discussion after the service about Vestry decisions and planning; we will also have an update from the Profile Committee. Typically, this will be on the third Sunday of each month (following the Vestry meeting), but times and dates are TBA.
- The Christmas Fair will not be held indoors this year. We are planning for alternative formats with online sales and pre-orders.
- We have reviewed our new Building Policy and Building use with all the groups who held meetings at Trinity Church before we shut down. Some groups will return, while others have decided to continue meeting remotely.
- We will distribute Grab-n-Go meals from Trinity every Thursday beginning at 4:30 pm. We have received a grant from the Greater Milford Community Health Network (CHNA6) to purchase meals from local restaurants on the first three Thursdays of the month as a way of supporting both local businesses and our neighbors. On the last Thursday of each month, we will distribute a meal prepared in our kitchen. Every week we will include a face mask, hand sanitizer, and dessert with the meal, and non-perishable food is available to be taken home. We are seeking private donations and grants to fund this program every Thursday through the spring.
- Abundant Care, Inc. will prepare take-out Thanksgiving Dinner this year. Please see Dave Scott, Justin Varteresian, or Marty Ploof Jr. to learn how you can help.
- We will meet for Morning Prayer on Zoom on Wednesdays at 10 am and for Bible Study on Zoom every Friday at noon through the month of November.
- We will have virtual Sunday School on Zoom every Sunday at 9:45 am, beginning on October 4th. On the first Sunday of each month, we will have family service at which our youth are readers; on the other Sundays children and youth from St. Matthew’s-Worcester and the United Parish of Upton will join us for class.
- Weekly Zoom Chats will resume on Wednesdays at 7 pm, beginning on October 14th
- Family Game Night and Bingo will resume when the cold weather begins
- Sacred Ground: Trinity will host this program designed by the Episcopal Church. Approximately 30 participants will meet either on alternate Sundays 5-6:30pm or on alternate Tuesdays 7-8:30 pm on Zoom until Thanksgiving.
The Journey Forward: Phase 2 at Trinity
On Monday, June 22nd, The Vestry met via ZOOM to discuss plans for Phase II of re-opening the church building for worship, community groups, small parish groups, and office administration during July and August. In August, they will consider plans for the fall. They considered 2 factors: the well-being of the congregation and faithfulness to our Mission Statement:
Sharing the Grace of God, the Light of Christ, and the Power of the Holy Spirit through worship, ministry, and fellowship.
1. Weekly in-person worship : Vestry members strongly agreed that neither indoor nor outdoor worship would be advisable at this time, and that it was not necessary in order for us to be faithful to our mission statement. The continuing risks posed by covid-19, the vulnerability of our congregation, the unpredictability of New England summer weather, and the ways we have been able to hold meaningful virtual worship all factored into the discussion. We will continue virtual worship through August. We agreed on two alternatives to weekly in-person worship:
2. Opening the Building for Community Groups There was strong consensus on two matters: First, a desire to be open and support community needs, especially given the importance of in-person meetings for support groups; and second, a concern about having adequate protections and accountability for visitors. We agreed to two things:
3. Opening the Building for Parish Small Groups Recognizing the importance of providing opportunities for in-person, non-virtual ways to share discussions about the preparations for the search, especially, the Vestry agreed to wait until after the current schedule of virtual meetings, phone conversations, and mail-in responses to the topics for discussion. After that, they will decide whether in-person small-group meetings are both necessary and safe. They agreed that the people who might seek the small-group meetings are the very people who most vulnerable in a room with other people
4. Opening the Office for a 4-day Schedule There was strong consensus that this should be determined by the amount of time needed for Magee to do the work that is required for current church operations. The Vestry agreed that having the office open does not necessarily mean the building will be open to the public. They agreed that this decision should be made by Mother Judith in consultation with the Wardens. Through July, Magee will be in the office on Mondays and Thursdays, 10am – 3 pm.
I know that you will find this news both disappointing and assuring. We will continue to gather on ZOOM for Morning Prayer at 9 am every Sunday, incorporating music beginning on July 12th. We continue to seek ways to strengthen the bonds that we have come to appreciate so deeply.
- A Vestry subcommittee will explore the possibility of a special service in August, one that will bring us together, meeting the necessary protocols and accounting for unpredictable weather, safe access, and adequate seating and protection from the heat.
- We will arrange for the church to be open for private prayer at specified times every week. Someone from the parish will be present to be sure that visitors remain in the back of the church and follow safety protocols; we will provide face masks and will clean the visiting area after each visitor.
- Vestry members will help anyone who has trouble participating in zoom.
2. Opening the Building for Community Groups There was strong consensus on two matters: First, a desire to be open and support community needs, especially given the importance of in-person meetings for support groups; and second, a concern about having adequate protections and accountability for visitors. We agreed to two things:
- A subcommittee will do more research on what other community resources are available for meetings and on what other churches across the state are doing to accommodate meetings. They will present a proposal for meeting public health protocols while accommodating community organizations.
- At their July 13th meeting, the Vestry will consider this research and review a new Building Use Agreement being developed by Ginny Starkis, Susan Edmondson, and Lucille Clinkman; at that time they will make a decision about when we feel we can responsibly open the building to community groups.
3. Opening the Building for Parish Small Groups Recognizing the importance of providing opportunities for in-person, non-virtual ways to share discussions about the preparations for the search, especially, the Vestry agreed to wait until after the current schedule of virtual meetings, phone conversations, and mail-in responses to the topics for discussion. After that, they will decide whether in-person small-group meetings are both necessary and safe. They agreed that the people who might seek the small-group meetings are the very people who most vulnerable in a room with other people
4. Opening the Office for a 4-day Schedule There was strong consensus that this should be determined by the amount of time needed for Magee to do the work that is required for current church operations. The Vestry agreed that having the office open does not necessarily mean the building will be open to the public. They agreed that this decision should be made by Mother Judith in consultation with the Wardens. Through July, Magee will be in the office on Mondays and Thursdays, 10am – 3 pm.
I know that you will find this news both disappointing and assuring. We will continue to gather on ZOOM for Morning Prayer at 9 am every Sunday, incorporating music beginning on July 12th. We continue to seek ways to strengthen the bonds that we have come to appreciate so deeply.
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family.
Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and comfort the penitent.
Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind
within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and comfort the penitent.
Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind
within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.