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An Introduction to Holy Trinity seminar will be conducted during the learning hour at 9:00 am on Sundays, February 5, 12, and 19. The class is designed to help people learn more about the ministry of our congregation and the encounters with God’s grace that we share here.  Even if you can’t attend all three sessions, we’d love for you to participate.  People interested in membership at Holy Trinity will be received at the conclusion of the seminar.  Please sign up at the table in the Gathering Space or contact Director of Equipping Ministers Laura Hudson at laura.hudson@engagedbygrace.org or Pastor Steve Wachtman at steve.wachtman@engagedbygrace.org if you have questions or would like to participate.

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for an evening of fun and fellowship on Sunday, January 29 from 4-7 pm as we celebrate the birth of Christ and your birthday too! Like every good birthday party, this all-congregational event is packed with great food, music, activities, and even a little entertainment.

We’ll begin our birthday celebration with informal worship in the sanctuary at 4:00.  Dinner will be served shortly thereafter followed by trivia fun.  Together, we’ll assemble birthday cake kits to share with Heart to Heart Food Pantry.  The event will wrap up by 7:00.

Get to know other members who share your birth month; enjoy a little light-hearted party game competition; sing a few songs; enjoy fabulous food; and provide some community service too. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll have the opportunity to throw a pie in the face of Pastor Steve or Vicar Jaren (all for a good cause,)

Holy Trinity will provide the entrée as well as beverages and special birthday treats will also be provided. Participants are asked to bring a side dish or salad to share. Sign up at the Birthday Bash display in the Gathering Space or use the form below so we can plan accordingly! 

Have you ever wondered about what it means to live a Christian lifestyle? Have you ever wondered what God has to say about your time, treasures, or talents? If you have, then I have the class for you! I am teaching a class called Giving to God: A Stewardship Study on Sundays, January 22 and 29 at 9am right before worship. This will be a great opportunity to learn about what God has to say about living a Christian lifestyle. We will talk about what stewardship means to us as Christians and how it encompasses more than just what we do with our money. There will be time for insightful discussion and an opportunity to share your own thoughts. I look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me at jaren.summers@engagedbygrace.org.  Peace, Vicar Jaren Summers

Holy Trinity continues to support the Y-Center and is next scheduled to host dinner on Saturday, February 4th.  We are permitted to have 5 – 8 adult volunteers in the kitchen.  If you are interested in serving or would like more information, please contact Chris Pryor at pryorc82@gmail.com.

As the new year begins, Holy Trinity will be reorganizing the Hospitality Committee.   The Hospitality Committee provides Sunday Hospitality after church and hosts special events during the year. We will meet after church on January 29th for a brief meeting to sign up for activities that members want to participate in.  If you are unable to attend, please let Chris Pryor know.

What happens when two longtime Holy Trinity members take a trip to the Deep South with the mission of “Listening and Learning” about racism and the Civil Rights movement from Black Americans?  Fred and Chris Burton did exactly that as they traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, and throughout Alabama in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham.  Some of their encounters were planned beforehand; many others resulted in them screwing up their courage and approaching people on the street, in restaurants, and in churches to engage them in casual conversations about race.  On Sundays, February 5 and 12 at 9:00 am, these two adult sessions (teens are welcome too) will show photos of and expand on the Burtons’ Civil Rights “Listen and Learn” self-organized “tour” in which they experienced many unplanned “grace moments”.  Participants will reflect on spiritual readings that connected to their trip and ponder their own “listen and learn” vacations.  Copies of the series of letters that Fred wrote for Holy Trinity’s Engaged by Grace Weekly newsletter will also be available.

At the Holy Trinity Birthday Bash on Sunday, January 29th, we will be assembling birthday cake kits to share with friends at the Heart to Heart Food Pantry.  We are currently are in need of additional boxes of cake mix, cans of Sprite, and tubs of frosting.  Any of these donated items can be left under the sign up table or near the birthday party display.  These kits will help make someone’s birthday very special!

Providing altar flowers is a beautiful way to celebrate an important occasion, to remember a loved one and to give glory to God.  There are still plenty of openings in the coming months.  If you’d like to provide flowers, you can sign up at the flower table in the Gathering Space or by contacting the church office at 614-486-9433 or email@engagedbygrace.org. Altar flowers can be taken home following worship or given to a shut-in to brighten their day.  The cost is $30.  Checks, electronic drafts, or credit card payments can be made payable to Holy Trinity with “flowers” noted in the memo line.

WELCA Bible Study will meet on Tuesday, January 31 at 10:00 am in the church library. The session will begin a 5-part lesson on “The Ten Commandments: Reviving the Soul.”  The series is written by The Rev. Dr. Christa Von Zychlin who has served churches around the world through ELCA global partnerships. She currently co-pastors St. Luke Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hope to see you there!