Trinity Church in Menlo Park


 
We had a great visit and sermon this past Sunday from the Rev. Ed Bacon, and a great turnout of people for it!  If you missed Ed's sermon, or would like to hear it again, you can listen to it (and most all of our sermons from 10 am) by clicking here.  Also, if you are interested in reading Ed's book,  8 Habits of Love:  Open Your Heart, Open Your Mind,  you can order it from your favorite bookstore, and also find it here.

This Sunday, the Gospel reading ends with these words:  "So therefore, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up all your possessions."  This saying of Jesus comes at the end of a passage that emphasizes the cost of discipleship, and the need to be sure that one is willing to pay that cost before making a commitment to follow Jesus.  Very few have ever taken this saying of Jesus literally.  So what are we to make of it?  What does Jesus mean by these words?  We'll be exploring this passage on Sunday.

We are also looking forward to Sunday, September 11, when we will hold our annual Celebration Sunday that signals the kick-off of a new year of life and ministry together. We will have one service on that day, at 10:00 am, to bring the whole congregation together, and then enjoy lunch and some fun afterwards.  We will also be sharing our new three-year plan with you, and inviting you to offer your time and talent in some particular ministry opportunities for the first year of that plan.

Peace,
MatthewSignatureGenuine  
 
P.S.  The schedule for my Monday evening OR Wednesday morning classes has been set for 2016-2017, and will focus on mystical Christianity.  You can see the schedule HERE.

P.P.S.   See below in this email for information on our Sunday Formation Sessions for adults and this year's Bishop's Ranch Retreat!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Last week you should have received the Fall planning email from the Trinity Staff. We have so much coming up in this program year and we don't want you to miss any of it! You can see all our upcoming events, links to affinity groups, calendars, and adult education by accessing the archived planning email here.

September 11 - Celebration Sunday 
 September 17 - Outreach Work Day at Redwood Family House
September 30 - October 2 - All Church Retreat
October 16 - Bishop's Visitation to Trinity
October 22 - Hearts for Justice

All of our upcoming events can be viewed here.
CHILDREN, YOUTH, & FAMILIES NEWS
 
This Coming Sunday
Children are invited to worship with their parents this Sunday! Our nursery, located in Angus Hall, is open every Sunday for younger children. The children's liturgy will kickoff on Sept. 11th and Godly Play, Explorers, and Youth Group will kickoff on September 18th.

Fall Family Ministry Formation Programs Begin Sept 11th

Sept 11th at 10:00 -- Children's Liturgy Kick Off in the Chapel 
Sept 18th at 10:00 -- Children's Godly Play and Explorers Resume in Trinity Hall 
Sept 18th at 11:15 -- Singing Saints for K-6th graders
Sept 18th at  6:00 -- Youth Group Resumes in Trinity Hall (Parents join from 6-6:30)
Sign up for the Church Retreat

Trinity will be enjoying spiritual renewal at Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg the weekend of September 30 through October 2.  Families with children and youth won't want to miss the fun! Interested K-5th graders will work with master artist Lisa Thorpe on Saturday and all youth will get to hang out together in the the fun and relaxed ranch atmosphere. Sign up and learn more about the retreat here.

Meet Trinity's Nursery Staff

Trinity's own Erica Girvin will lead the nursery this year and brings many nurturing and creative ideas to make parents' and children's nursery experience on Sundays and during special church events the best it can be. Nancy Macias and Milagros Barahona, two experienced and highly qualified child care providers with numerous child care certificates and child development courses in their portfolios, have also joined our team. Sara Andrade, who has supported Trinity's child care team for about a year will provide back up support occasionally as well.  Please welcome our new child care providers!



SUNDAY FORMATION SESSIONS & BISHOP'S RANCH RETREAT
With the success of our last Lenten Series, we will be offering several Sunday Formation Sessions this year.  As a result of our recent planning process, the theme for these Sunday Sessions in 2016-2017 will be "Episcopal 101:  Faith & Life in the Episcopal Tradition".  The first two of these Sunday Sessions will be on September 18 and 25, and will focus on the ethos or spirit of our tradition, captured by the term "via media" or "middle way".  As we did this past Lent, we will have a quick lunch following the 10 am service, followed by learning time, all to be done by 12:45 pm.   Children will be invited to practice with the Singing Saints children's choir in preparation for the Bishop's Visit on October 16.  More information on these sessions, and all our Sunday Session offerings this year, may be found here.
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Our annual All-Church Retreat at Bishop's Ranch is coming up!  We begin Friday evening, September 30, and run through Sunday morning, October 2.  The retreat provides generous amounts of free time to relax, reconnect, and deepen relationships.  A programmatic element is included for Saturday morning, and this year we will be following our "Episcopal 101" formation theme with a focus on the history and meaning of the various parts of the Eucharist.   All are invited, but space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. Confirmation youth will have special programming at the retreat and should attend. Information, including online registration link, may be found here. 
 
UPCOMING TRINITY EVENTS
Men of Trinity Dinner
Wednesday September 7th at 7 pm at the home of Bob Cleveland
 
Join with the Men of Trinity for dinner and fellowship! We will be taking this opportunity, in addition to enjoying each other's company, to do some planning and visioning work for the men's ministry at Trinity. If you have questions, or if you want to give your input but cannot attend please send your thoughts to Rev. Matthew. 
Outreach Work Day at Redwood Family House 
Saturday, September 17
Join Trinity Outreach for a work day on Saturday, September 17, at Redwood Family House. The facility is operated by LifeMoves to provide transitional housing in Redwood City for 9 homeless families with 15-25 children, and we will be offering our hands and hearts to help maintain and improve it. Volunteers are needed to prep and paint railings and other areas, build a cover for the sandbox, and do some general landscape clean-up of the playground area. You can learn more about our upcoming work with Redwood Family House on the Trinity blog. 
 
Would you like to help brighten the environment for these families? To volunteer you can sign up online by clicking here  or if you can contact Jim Bramlett or Barbara Newton.  

Save the Date - Hearts for Justice: Addiction, Recovery, and Grace
October 22, 2016

Save the Date for this year's Hearts for Justice conference! We will be focusing on addiction and recovery with two great speakers: Fr. Tom Weston and The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen. You can read more about them here.
 
Want to volunteer help make Hearts for Justice happen? Please contact Rev. Elizabeth Riley.

Stephen Ministry Training This Fall

Two years ago Trinity launched a Stephen Ministries program. Stephen Ministries is a one-on-one pastoral care program. It trains members of the congregation to offer ongoing pastoral care to individuals in the midst of transition, change, or life hardship. Stephen Ministers are weekly prayer partners to those they minister too. Stephen Ministies work with the clergy to provide long term pastoral care and comfort to our community. 
 
We are currently looking for new members of the Trinity community to join our current Stephen Ministry Team. You can learn more about Stephen Ministry here. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Rev. Elizabeth Riley.

Join the Trinity Ringers

Trinity Ringers are back in action.  Rehearsals return on Thursday, September 8, 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Curious?  Stop by!  The Ringers always welcome anyone who wants to learn more about the fun and beautiful art of English Handbell ringing.

No OWLS in September

There will be no OWLS luncheon or speaker in September. Trinity's "Celebration Weekend" is Sunday, September 11, so we hope you will put that date on your calendar for your first Fall parish event! We will resume OWLS luncheons and speakers in October with Ron Mancini talking to us about NASA on October 14. Rhonda Smith will be our speaker on Nov. 11, sharing her outreach ministry at a refugee camp on the Greece/Macedonia border. See you all soon, for interesting, informative presentations by our own parishioners.

Vestry Adopts Alcohol Policy

Last week the Trinity Vestry adopted a new alcohol policy for Trinity. The goal of this policy is to provide guidelines for the use of alcohol at parish events and at functions held on parish property that are not sponsored by the parish.  In providing these guidelines, the intention of the Vestry is to recognize that while the reasonable consumption of alcohol has its place in our common social life, it is important that the parish promote responsibility and safety at events in which alcohol might be served. You can view the policy here.

THIS COMING SUNDAY
September 4th, 2016
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
    
5:05 Service:
There is no 5:05 Service during summer. The 5:05 returns September 18th.
 
Did you miss last Sunday? Listen to the sermon here!

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS
Make Music with MPRO

 Rehearsals for the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra begin on Wednesday September 14th at Trinity Church. The orchaestra is open without audition! Learn more here
.
Dementia Awareness
Sept. 8 6:30 pm

Join with Seniors at Home for a information session to talk about dementia, signs and symptoms, and how to connect to local support. Learn more here.
Multi faith  Peace Walk & Picnic
September 11, 2 pm
 
Join with other local houses of faith for a multi faith peace walk in September 11th! The walk starts at Congregation Etz Chayim, Spark Church and St. Andrews United Methodist Church parking lots, 4111 & 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. You can learn more bout it here.
 
LINKS
The Trinity Church calendar can be found here.

A complete list of upcoming Trinity events can be found here.

For information about online giving, and other information about Trinity, please visit our website: www.trinitymenlopark.org
 
 
 
PRAYER
Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

- Collect for Labor Day, the Book of Common Prayer, p. 261

Sincerely,
 
Trinity Church Communications
Trinity Church in Menlo Park
650-326-2083