Weekly Email w/b 30th August 2021

Welcome to September, and what we hope and pray might be something of a new season in our life together here at Trinity.

Fi and I were chatting to Cerys Hughes yesterday, our new Children & Families Minister. (see below). “Who, what and where are Trinity Churches” she asked. A good question, and inevitably a long answer ensued.

On Sundays you’ll find us gathering at various times and places, sometimes outdoors and sometimes in, sometimes online and sometimes in person. You’ll find us worshipping and welcoming, praying and preaching, loving and living as “God’s amazing family”.

Then on Mondays to Saturdays you’ll find us scattered across the local area and beyond. We’re scattered to school classrooms and local businesses, hospital corridors or garden fences, changing nappies or working up a spreadsheet. I’m reminded of the call to be lifelong and whole-life disciples no matter what age of life or stage of faith we are. This call to follow Jesus (there’s that discipleship word again) is for everyone, everywhere, everyday and in everything.

It’s this vision of church life which excited me when I first came as vicar in September 2009, and continues to excite me twelve years on. A people who are “growing faith, proclaiming hope and living the love of Jesus” as we now put it. Read on below for various different ways in which we’re seeking to be doing that, and encouraging each other in these still difficult days.

Grace and peace

Phil Cansdale

Vicar of Trinity Churches and Area Dean of Shrewsbury

We’re hoping that September might bring a continued sense of recovery in our local communities and across life at Trinity. We remain cautious and concerned about ongoing COVID rates and some of the challenges there, but are glad to be able to plan the next few weeks ahead with a little bit more confidence.

Our Sunday life continues with 9am and 11am at Holy Trinity (weekly), and then monthly celebrations for the evening congregation (6.30pm on 5th September), Meole Estate (11am on 5th September), Radbrook Green (9.30am on 19th September). We’re also looking forward to our monthly midweek communion service. (10am on 16th September)

We remain online on Sundays as well, this week with both the 9am and 11am gatherings being available via Facebook. (“Trinity Churches Shrewsbury”)

As of this Sunday we are trialling a new approach where we are no longer asking people to “book in” or let us know they are coming. We are continuing to ask people to wear face coverings and are enabling you to be able to keep physical distance from others.

Find out more about our services

Find us on Facebook Live

This Sunday sees us kick off an autumn series looking at what are called “HOLY HABITS.”

We’ll be hearing of the way the early church is described in Acts chapter 2. What does it look like when the wind of God’s spirit is at work in God’s people? We’ll be exploring some of the foundational aspects of our life together, which feel all the more important and timely in this season of our COVID journey.

So – after an introduction this first week – we’ll be taking one of the big themes, and unpacking what it might look like for God’s church today. There are also resources for individuals or for small groups which you might want to engage with.

This coming Sunday we would love to encourage your child to bring along their school bag to the 11am service. This will give us an opportunity as a church family to encourage and pray for children and young people as they prepare to embark upon a new academic year. If your child(ren) haven’t yet got their school bags packed then perhaps this is an encouragement to help them do so!

A reminder that September sees a move towards a more regular pattern of children and youth provision. We will begin with all ages together in the church building before heading to our groups partway through the service, with facilities for creche and pre-school, Trinity Kids, Pathfinders and Anon. The second Sunday each month will be an all-age celebration, and other Sundays will include groups for children and young people. (apart from Anon on 4th week of month when they will be staying in Church)

This week saw the arrival of Cerys Hughes as our new Children and Families Minister.

Hello Everybody! It seems a long time since the announcement of my appointment back in June so I’m really excited to finally be here and to say “Hello” to you all in my first week! Thank you for your prayers for me and my family during this time of transition, we really value them all!

I can’t wait to meet all the amazing children and young people that I’ve heard so much about and get started on some fun and creative activities that we’ve all missed during the pandemic. I’m working through a list of our wonderful volunteers so if you are involved in our work with children and families, you can expect to be invited for a cuppa sometime soon but do feel free to drop me a message and say “Hi”, and if you’re somebody who’d like to get involved in this work, I’d love to hear from you too.

Meanwhile Judith Clarkson will still be involved in various aspects of church life, including continuing a voluntary role as chaplain to Meole Brace Church of England Primary school. Did you know a group of people pray every Wednesday morning for local schools? If you’d like to join them contact the Church Office.
Contact Cerys

Thanks so much to everyone who gave some feedback and ideas for ‘what next’ for six o’clock live. We’re going to be starting again on Monday 13^th September at 6pm, and very much look forward to this valued resource returning for the autumn. More to come!

CLOISTERS CAFE AND CAFE CONNECT

We’re looking for team members to get involved in Cloisters Café as our amazing team of young people move on to university. Could you help with this ministry? We’re open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-1pm, with staff needed from 9am-2pm. You can work for part of that time if you prefer, just come and talk to us. Full training is provided, and we fund your online food hygiene level 2 qualification.

Some of these roles will be paid (exceeds adult living wage). Hours are temporary until the end of September, but we may be continuing. Watch this space! Interested in finding out more? For more info, please call Helen in the church office, 01743 242660 or send us an email.

Meanwhile we also continue to build the team at Café Connect in Radbrook Green. A heart for serving the community? Want to be part of a team making a difference locally? For more info pop into the Café and chat to Dave or Theo for more details. You’ll see below the beautiful prayer board for September which is in the Cafe. Why not join in and pray with us there?

Contact Helen Hinton