THE WELL will return in the fall.

We love you, and hope to all be back together IN PERSON by then!

TRINITY FAMILY!

THIS IS A REMINDER TO PLEASE FILL OUT THE CHURCH REOPENING SURVEY TODAY, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO

SURVEY CLOSES TODAY.

ONE PER HOUSEHOLD.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SURVEY LINK

 

TRINITY FAMILY!

This morning, you should have received an email containing a survey link. It is vitally important that the committee has your answers as soon as possible. Please check your inbox, and your spam filter.

If you DID NOT receive it, please email Kailey MacAllister at kaileymacallister@trinitydenton.org to be added to the list.

The body of the email message is reprinted below:

 

Please be advised there is a team hard at work to prepare for eventual in-person worship services. The team is comprised of the following:
Matt Cullum, Patty Clark, Georgia Albury, Patti Griffith, Jesse McMillin, Amy Brooks, Larry Thomas, Pam Ferguson, Tawny Rybowicz, Denise Davis, Kailey MacAllister, Nancy Flanagan, Marie Snider, Jim Bowden, Mark Vennerholm

The team seeks specific information from membership in order to significantly move forward with plans to re-open for in-person worship. We respectively ask someone within your household to respond to the attached survey.

Survey Response Guidelines:
1. This is a participation survey that should be responded to as representing your entire household. (not one survey response for each family member)
2. The survey assumes you understand that the Church will be following CDC related guidelines.
3. Please complete this survey by close of business on Wednesday 27 May.

Mark Vennerholm
Chairman, Trustees

 

From Rev. Vanessa Sims:

 

My son, Captain Anthony L. Sims Jr, is an Iraq Veteran. On September 18, 2008, seven members of the 2nd Battalion, 149 Aviation, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade lost their lives in a helicopter crash when they were en route to a Logistics Support Area Anaconda in Balad,Iraq.

 

My son’s CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew was one of helicopter’s that were in an aerial convoy with the helicopter that crashed. Words can’t express the agony me and my husband experienced while waiting to hear if our son was among the crew that crashed. Praise be to God, it wasn’t his helicopter crew.

 

Unfortunately, it took that incident for me to fully understand and appreciate the sacrifice of the men and women who are serving and those who have served in the Armed Forces. Since that experience, I try to honor those who serve and their families. This year ,I was led by the Holy Spirit to honor military spouses. These unsung heroes provide significant contributions, support, and sacrifices to help keep our country safe.

 

As you might know, I am the founder and Executive Director of Thou Art My Sister Ministries. Thou Art My Sister Ministries is a mission oriented Christian service and non-profit organization. We hope to transform lives by demonstrating our faith through love and action

 

In 1999, Congress declared May as National Military Appreciation Month. That declaration encourages US citizens to observe the month of May in a symbol of unity for those who are currently serving and for those who have served. Since Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a presidentially-approved holiday, we decided to put our faith and love in action by honoring military spouses

 

To honor military spouses, we held our 1st Annual Hope, Honor, and Help Military Spouses Appreciation Brunch at the Denton Woman’s Club on Saturday, May 9. Since, National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day in May. I requested the City of Denton to join me, Thou Art My Sister Ministries, John Czapko and friends to join us in honoring military spouses. On May 8, Chris Watts, Mayor of the City of Denton declared May 8 as National Military Spouse Appreciation Day in the City of Denton.

 

This year, our special honoree was Trinity’s member Louise Mealing. Louise was our fist honoree. We are blessed and thankful by her gifts and service to our country and our church. In the spring of 2012, I shared a dream about the military with Louise. To my surprise, Louise gathered together Trinity Crafters and made a beautiful military quilt.

 

In cooperation with Growing In Faith Sunday School Class and Trinity UMC, I co-sponsored a special worship service with Morse Street Baptist Church on June 30, 2012. Because this special worship Service for Hope and Healing was dedicated to veterans, the beautiful military quilt made by the Trinity UMC Crafters was unveiled during the service at Morse Street Baptist Church.

 

Finally, at our 1st Annual Hope, Honor, and Help Military Spouses Appreciation Brunch, we enjoyed listening to special piano music provided by Dewey Christian.

A gallery of photos from the Brunch, held at the Denton Woman’s Club building on Saturday, May, 9th 2020 can be found on Trinity’s Facebook page!

 

 

Bishop McKee: Churches Continue Online Through May

Greetings in the Name of the Risen Christ!

As we continue to serve and worship the Risen Christ during this Easter season, we do so in a challenging time because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Since March 15, United Methodists have not worshiped in their churches or gathered in person for Sunday School classes or small groups. Yet, congregations continue to worship and study together online.

 

Many of us have learned how to use new technologies or have discovered social platforms that our friends, children and grandchildren often use. Thank you to the pastors and laity of the North Texas Conference for your leadership, creativity and faithfulness for proclaiming the Gospel online and for teaching and sharing the faith in unique ways. Amidst that, many of you are compassionately serving your neighbors.

Our clergy have risen to the challenges of pastor/preacher in the age of social distancing. They have learned new skills and consulted with each other. In many ways, they have worked harder, and I am grateful for our clergy and their witness. This has been no vacation, but there has been nothing but passion and joy in serving Christ. Thank you.

Laity and clergy alike have begun to ask questions about when we can return to our churches and worship together in person. The answer is “not yet.”

 

To set a date at this time would be premature because of the ever-changing spread of COVID-19. There are areas of the North Texas Conference that have very few COVID-19 cases, but the Dallas area continues to be significantly affected. It’s best to plan that congregations will not gather face-to-face through May 31. It is my hope and prayer that we will be able to re-open our churches at some point in June.

How we begin gathering together in the future will be a challenge for each church. This cannot be “let’s open the doors and pick up where we were.” That would be foolish and potentially cause more harm.

 

Guidelines are being formed for that time when we can see each other in person again.

In the meantime, let us continue to serve in our communities. Please include in your prayers:
Those who have died and their families
Persons in the medical community who seek to bring healing and their families
Persons and their families who have lost jobs.

Thank you again for your faithfulness. I am inspired by your creativity and your resilience and know that God is able to do a good work in you.

Face Mask Ministry

 

Calling all seamstresses and those who crochet….

In preparation of our return to church services after the end of May, we want to be proactive and have washable masks ready and available for our congregation.

Being in a “Shelter in Place” status makes it a great time to get this
project under way. If you can sew and/or crochet, we have easy to
understand patterns to make various sizes of masks, from extra small to
large. We estimate needing about 300 masks to ensure everyone can
get as many as they need.

Fabric, elastic, lining, batting and yarn will be furnished for you. We just need the manpower.

If you would like to help with this project, please contact Donna Terrill at donnaterrill2@gmail.com for more details about patterns and instructions.

Hey, Trinity Family!

Last week’s LIVE AT THE WELL Zoom meetup was so much fun, we’re doing it again tonight!

Check your email from yesterday for Pastor Jim’s message with the link attached, and join us at 5:30.

You’re more than welcome to eat dinner while we’re Zooming – that’s what we do at THE WELL, right?

If you don’t have a link, email Pastor Jim and he’ll send you one.