Weekly email w/b 6th March 2023

I confess that I put off writing this piece for a few days, because I couldn’t think what to write about. And then today, it happened…a catastrophe worth sharing!

My daughter set off for a GCSE Geography Field trip but in line with the school risk assessment, she was not allowed to board the coach because she had forgotten her inhaler! The school office quickly called me to see if I could make the two-minute journey from home and drop the inhaler off, but I didn’t hear my phone! So, I missed the call and the coach set off leaving my daughter at school in her outdoor clothes and boots, and without her friends! When you are a fashion-conscious 16 year old, that probably feels like the worst day ever and I must admit I spent the afternoon feeling like the world’s worst Mum!

In reality, these were just simple mistakes – my daughter forgetting her inhaler, and me missing the call – the kind of stuff that happens every day. It’s a reminder that we are only human, and we get things wrong all the time. Sometimes it’s the silly stuff like this that we could kick ourselves for, but we laugh about it the next day, and sometimes it’s much bigger stuff that we get wrong.

As much as my teenager might playfully remind me of this failure for the next ten years, God keeps no score but instead meets us in the mess and leads us to a life of forgiveness and redemption.

In the Dust and Glory journey for children, this week is titled “Nobody’s Perfect”, and you may like to join me in praying the prayer for the week:

Jesus, you know that none of us are perfect, but you love everyone. Help us to trust in your goodness and follow your example. Amen

Cerys Hughes, Children and Families Minister

 

We’re announcing this week that Craig Silcock will be stepping back from his role as Youth Minister at Trinity Churches. He’s accepted a role with a local Building Society, and this will give him an opportunity to live out his passion for ethical banking, particularly how banking can “benefit both people and the planet.” They’re looking to stay in the area as a family.

Craig will be finishing at Easter after five years in the role, and we will obviously be finding ways to say ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’ to Craig as he leaves the team. And conversations are now underway about how to maintain and support youth ministry here at Trinity, both short-term and longer-term. There is a wonderful team of others involved in areas of this work, and as a PCC and ministry team we will be finding ways to support them and others as we seek to make the transition into a new season for youth ministry here. If you have any questions – or particular ideas for how this transition might best happen – then do please talk to one of the existing youth team, or Phil and Fi.

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. Nick Webb will be speaking at the 9am and at CTK, whilst Fi, Cerys and the all-age team will be hosting the 11am gathering. Phil Cansdale will be speaking at Belle Vue, and in the evening we continue a new series on “whole-life worship” with Annali Hindle as our speaker.

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.

 

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 next couple of weeks:

• Lent Quiet Evening. Wednesday 15th March, 7pm to 9.30pm in the Trinity Centre. Hosted by Charles Ruxton.
• Lent Experience for children and families takes place on Sunday 26th March. RSVP
• Lent Worship Evening. For musicians from across the congregations. We’ll be learning some new songs, ‘polishing’ some old songs, and thinking how best to worship and work together.

Meanwhile we’re sorry for having had to cancel the Lent Lunch which was taking place today (Friday 10th March) due to the weather. We’ll have a look at diaries and see if we might reconvene…

Find out more about Lent events – and RSVP for each of these

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

We’re really looking forward to an evening for Trinity Women, meeting on Friday 24^th March 7pm in Alaturka Turkish restaurant on Wyle Cop. A chance to enjoy a really great meal together – mezze, mixed grill, desserts, Turkish tea – and to build a sense of fellowship, faith and fun. Tickets £15.50 available online via our website, or from the Church Office. Or speak to one of the team hopefully walking around with clipboards after the service.

More details and let us know you’re coming

Could you be part of a really great team who help keep our churchyard a beautiful place throughout these next months, and part of our welcome and hospitality at the heart of the local community?

The churchyard grass-cutting season is approaching. We work in pairs, and every five weeks or so the role takes about two hours. It’s very flexible, people can swap and work round holidays easily, and there’s no specific day or time for mowing.

For more info please chat to Andy Digby on a Sunday, or contact the Church Office and they will pass your details onto him and the team.

Come and join an amazing team

And finally…. our latest copy of “Trinity Life” is now out. You’ll find further details of Lent and Easter events, as well as a sneak-preview to a few May gatherings like the King’s Coronation and REVS. You’ll also find readings etc for March and April, and a sense of a few of the different things taking place in our shared life here at Trinity.

Download and Read online