Our Activities
Listed below are the news articles for the month of December.
December 12, 2009
It's not too late to pledge!
Please remember to submit your 2010 Stewardship pledge. We base our budget and plans for the coming year on pledges received in this drive, which represents nearly 80% of our operating budget. Our ability to sustain and grow Trinity’s staff and programs depends critically on your pledges. Please pledge as generously as you can.
View the pledge brochure or view and print the pledge card.
December 30, 2009
Family Ministries News
GODLY PLAY NEWS: I am so thankful that Loren Merrell, Maria Smith, and Cathy Sage, three of our Godly Play storytellers, attended a Core Training November 8 at Epiphany, San Carlos! Our Godly Play program quietly rolls along every Sunday, right after the Children’s Homily, in our Godly Play classrooms in Trinity Hall. If you would like to attend a class as an observer, please contact me via email and we can set it up. In January, the two Godly Play classes will hear and respond to these stories: The Epiphany, The Glorious Impossible, The Parable of the Great Pearl, The Parable of the Sower, Holy Baptism, and the Good Samaritan.
GODLY EXPLORERS NEWS: Our 4th and 5th graders will learn more about the Bible in the Season of Epiphany, using the materials we built last year that encourage active learning. Many Godly Explorers also serve as acolytes. In the process of serving at the altar with the clergy, they’re learning about the liturgy from being in the liturgy. They are a great help and we’re very appreciative of their presence each week.
Youth Mission Trip for 2010!
Avenue of the Giants Mission Trip
We are pleased to announce Trinity’s 2010 youth mission trip!! We will be pairing with Church of the Epiphany’s youth group during the week of June 13th-20th to participate in the 2010 Avenue of the Giants Mission Trip to Arcata! Entering freshmen who have just graduated 8th grade through exiting seniors are invited to attend this trip!
The trip ties into the Millennium Development Goals for environmental sustainability, and alleviating hunger and poverty, it is “local” in the sense that it doesn’t require air travel (though it is still about 6 hours away so it feels like we’re really going somewhere for our trip), it helps our teens to recognize that there are people right here in California living in desperate poverty (Humboldt County is one of the most economically depressed counties in California), and it draws us into conversation with and contemplation of Native Peoples of our own state.
This year we will be going to Indian Island, a small piece of land accessible at low tide, which the native Wiyot tribe used for centuries for an annual seven to ten day “World Renewal” celebration. In 1860, in the middle of the night, settlers crossed the channel to Indian Island, massacred the native residents of the permanent settlement of Tuluwat, and took possession of the island. After a tumultuous series of relocations, elimination of national status, court battles, and near extinction (the population dropped to a mere 100 people at its lowest), the tribe began to reclaim its identity, and in 2001 was able to purchase back a 1½-acre piece of their sacred land on Indian Island. In 2006 the county of Humboldt granted the return of 60 acres, and the tribe has been actively working to recondition their land for the past eight years (it was used as a shipyard from 1870-1990!). The goal of the “Tuluwat project” is to restore the cultural heritage and ecological resources of the site and surrounding salt marsh, to construct a cultural center open to the public, and to restore the site to once again perform Tribal ceremonies there.
Our group will be participating in projects on the island for four of the days we’re on the trip. Also while in Arcata, we will be working for a half day with Friends of the Dunes to remove invasive plant species from the dunes and learning about the delicate microclimate and ecology of dune life. The other half of that work day will be preparing a meal and helping to serve it at the local soup kitchen in cooperation with St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Arcata.
While in Arcata, we will be staying in the Humboldt State University dorms, which offers a summer conference rate that includes three meals per day.
For program we will be discussing the Millennium Development Goals, issues surrounding historic and current treatment of indigenous peoples, and what service,stewardship, and faith look like in the Episcopal Church. For our day off, we will be exploring the North Coast—tidepools, estuaries, redwood rainforest, and the local attractions such as live music, community activities in the park, coffee houses, movies, fine (and eclectic) dining, etc.
We need help in raising money for the Mission Trip. The total cost of the trip is $8000. If you are interested in making a donation or sponsoring a youth please contact Youth Director Ali Steele at ali.e.steele@gmail.com or 650-454-6678.
Peace, Ali Steele
Youth Director, Trinity Parish
Stewardship Update
2010 PLEDGE STATUS
We are very grateful for the many generous pledges received as of December 14 that have brought us to within 91% of our 2010 pledge-budget goal, in spite of the difficult economic times. But we are still $49,000 short of our goal and we have yet to hear from approximately 40 individuals and families who pledged last year. It’s not too late to submit your 2010 Stewardship pledge.
We base our budget and plans for the coming year on pledges received in this drive, which represent nearly 80% of our operating budget. Our ability to sustain and grow Trinity’s staff and programs depends critically on your pledges. Everyone’s participation is needed to make up for our strained financial resources over the past few years. You will find pledge cards and return envelopes on the backs of the pews and at the back of the chapel.
You may drop your completed pledge card in the collection plate, or return it by mail. Or you can pledge online. Please pledge as generously as you can.
Outreach News
Thank you to all who provided Thanksgiving dinners to Haven House families. Because of your kindness and generosity everyone at Haven was able to enjoy a wonderful dinner.
Alison Blank
JB & Gayle Brahy
Audley & Violet Lyon
Jesse & Amy McKenney
Bill & Clarisa Odell
John & Lucy Strandberg
Bill & Nancy Grove
John Donald, Elaine Hammond & family
Bob & Gerry Kirchgatter
Katie & Cyrus Behroozi
Bruce & Lisa Deal
Liza MacMorris
Carolyn Emmerson
Magnus & Nancy Ryde
Carol Morrow
Mary Pless & family
Carolyn Brenner
Peggy Shippen & Meg Rorden
Cynthia Hinestroza
Pete & Margaret Perrone & family
Elaine Johnson
Robert & Christine Wendin & family
Estelle Bertolucci
Ross & Debbie Smith
Eugenie Taylor
Tim & Christy Heaton & family
Sabra Dupree
Timothy & Christa Mayer
Harry & Shirley Hagey
One Warm Coat
Between October 25th and December 13th we received 26 jackets, 2 windbreakers, 9 fleece jackets, 6 sweatshirts, 19 kid’s jackets, 21 coats, and 3 vests, plus 4 pair of gloves, 1 snowsuit and 3 hats for children, and 2 stuffed bears. St. Anthony’s welcomed these donations; more people will be warm this winter because of your generosity. Thanks.
In addition the Outreach Commission also allocated $500 to the Household InnVision Opportunity Services Center Clothes Closet of Palo Alto, to purchase warm coats for the homeless in this area.
VETERANS: We had a fantastic turnout for the 3rd annual Christmas Party for the local veterans in Redwood City. We served around 175 this year which was double last year’s count. The following members of the parish were involved in cooking or serving or both;
June LaBarre Frank Rocco Lucy Strandberg John Strandberg
Kat Barakis Diane Savage Kitty Solari Frannie Kieschnick
Jennifer Morrissey Denis Morrissey Haydi Sowerwine Lisa Dewberry
Jim Bramlett Lynn Bramlett Gayle Brahy JB Brahy