Weekly Email w/b 20th February 2023

“Vicar talks about failure.” I’m very aware that we might be here a long time, with long lists of parental mistakes I have made, online bloopers I have committed, or the many messes I have found myself in through my life!

And yet as we begin Lent we often talk about faith… and failure. We might begin with Adam and Eve – two original ‘failures’ – before going on to countless more stories of faith, failure and forgiveness. But there’s good news in this. “Failure is inevitable” as Emma Ineson says. “But it isn’t the end of the story.”

What a beautiful invitation to the big story of scripture. Failure doesn’t need to have the last word. From Noah to Moses, Jacob to David, God’s grace means human failure doesn’t prevent us from being part of God’s people and doing God’s work. Yes, we remember their weaknesses, but even more we remember that they are part of a much larger and a much longer story of God’s grace at work.

 

Phil Cansdale (Vicar)

 

This Sunday we’re meeting as usual across the four congregations at Trinity, as well as continuing to serve our neighbouring parish of Belle Vue. Robert Parsons will be speaking at the 9am and at CTK, whilst Gareth Evans is our speaker at the 11am gathering where we’ll also be taking a look at the “Dust and Glory” resources for children, families and adults. Cerys and the Trinity Kids team will be hosting a special session for children and parents in the Bradbury Hall.

Meanwhile Nick Webb is speaking at Holy Trinity Belle Vue, and in the evening Phil Cansdale will be kicking off a new series on “whole-life worship” in the book of Psalms.

This Lent we’re taking a fresh look at the struggles and mistakes that every day brings. We’ll be thinking about some of the frustrations and failings that every day brings, and rather than pretending that we can always avoid them, we’ll seek to learn from them and grow closer to God through them.

Then there are a variety of different ways of joining in the Lent journey:

• many have already picked up the booklet of forty daily reflections. This is also available online or via your smartbox!
• there’s also a booklet for children and families which we’ve made available
• we’ll be featuring this at our Six o’clock live gathering on Facebook, Mondays to Fridays 6pm to 6.20pm
• There’s also the accompanying book “Failure” which takes these big themes further. If you haven’t yet picked one up you can grab a copy from Illuminate Bookshop in town.

We’ll then be having one extra gathering each week, taking one of these themes a bit further.

You’ll find details – and sign-ups where needed – of each of these on our website at www.trinitychurches.org/lent. To pick up on the first three weeks:

• One-off Lent Book Group. Meeting 2nd March at 7.30pm in Cafe Connect. We’ll be looking at Emma Ineson’s book “Failure” which about 40+ of us have bought over the last couple of weeks. It isn’t essential you’ve read the book as the discussion will also be more general in nature around the big themes of Lent.
  
• Lent Lunch. Friday 10th March, 12.30pm in the Trinity Centre. We’ll have a generous serving of food, fellowship and faith. RSVP via website or Church Office. Donations invited on the day.
• Lent Quiet Evening. Wednesday 15th March, 7pm to 9.30pm in the Trinity Centre. Hosted by Charles Ruxton.

Find out more about Lent events – and RSVP

An event for those who are new – or still feeling new – at Trinity.

It’s been great to be connecting up with various new people during these last few months. On Thursday 23rd March in Cafe Connect we’ll start at 7.30pm, and over coffee, cake and similar we’ll have some time together to get to know each other better, meet some of the team here at Trinity, and to hear something about the wider life of the church.

Let us know please you’re coming, and we’ll start ordering the cakes! We look forward to you being with us.

Let us know you’re coming to the next Welcome event

You may have seen the recent decision by General Synod to enable same-sex couples to come to church after a civil marriage or civil partnership to give thanks, dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing. We continue to give space and time to unpack something of what this means, and how to keep in step with the Spirit – and with each other – when there are some significant disagreements and potential splits in the life of the Church of England. Please do pray for all of us involved in these at a local, diocesan and national level.

Our series “made for relationship” has now concluded, but the conversation very much goes on. A reminder that our website features the audio from each of the talks, plus further resources to help people think through these big issues further.

Made for Relationship – Resources and talks

 

There’s something really important about finding ways of saying “count me in” to God and to the life of the Church. We’d love to help people to do that. On Easter Day (9th April) we’re offering a chance for adults / young people to be baptised or to renew their baptism vows. Then on Sunday 18th June Bishop Michael, the Bishop of Lichfield, will be with us with the possibility of people being confirmed.

Find out more about baptisms and confirmations