Weekly Email w/b 9th May 2022

Those of you at our 11am gathering last Sunday – or Six Live during the week – might have heard the song we sang. Based around the Blues Brothers song “Everybody needs somebody”, it talked about how “every body needs… a body”, and how part of the Easter story is that our physical bodies and the created world matter to God and will be renewed by Him.

Perhaps a sign of my mis-spent youth, but I love the music and the film of “The Blues Brothers.” These two musicians get into all sorts of scrapes trying to get the band back together, and whenever they’re asked about their work they had a standard response. “We’re on a mission from God.” They always said it as if they believed it. The very idea that two inept, unworthy human beings could be on a mission from God was, of course, the central joke of the whole story.

Here is the story of your life. And our life together. We are on a mission from God. Hopefully at this year’s Annual Meeting we’ll hear more about that, and some of the features of this mission as individuals and across our life at Trinity at the moment. We’d love you to join us, ideally in person though we will also try and be online via “Trinity Churches Shrewsbury” Facebook for those who can’t make it.

Talking about unlikely heroes and people “on a mission from God” I do want to share one particularly pressing concern. With Richard and Erica both stepping back this year we are still looking for one more person to offer themselves for nomination as churchwarden at Holy Trinity. You get to work closely with myself and Fi as vicars, Kevin Pilsbury as Operations Manager, the PCC and the wider staff team, and many others in supporting the life of the church. There’s always a right sense of “Lord, I couldn’t possibly do this” in stepping into this sort of leadership, alongside the promise of ongoing support, working as team, and growing into the role. Please do have a conversation with myself, Fi or one of the current wardens if you’d like to explore this further, or if you know someone who you might recommend for this role.

With thanks and prayers, as always, as together we are “growing faith, proclaiming hope and living the love of Jesus.”

Phil Cansdale (Vicar and Area Dean)

We are really looking forward to worshipping together again this weekend, as we continue our journey as Resurrection People. At the 9am and 11am services our speaker will be Fi Iddon, whilst at our 1030am Radbrook service Shirley Stevens will be speaking. We’re thinking about Thomas. Doubting? Questioning? Seeking? Honest? How might Thomas give us a model of someone who spoke doubts from their heart, but also responded to Jesus’ call with faith and worship.

Our 6.30pm evening service meets in the Trinity Centre, and includes our annual meeting. For more details – and getting involved – then please see below. And don’t forget the welcome return of Sports Sunday at 10.15am this week.

Our Annual Meeting takes place on Sunday 15th May this year. After the last couple of meetings were held online, this year we will be meeting in person in the Trinity Centre. We start with cake and refreshments from 6.15pm in the courtyard area with the ‘business’ beginning just after 6.30pm, and aim to finish by 8pm.

As usual we’ll be looking back over the year 2021. We’ll be having an update on current discussions about our life together, and looking ahead to some of the opportunities opening up for us across Trinity. We’ll also have the usual elections for wardens and PCC members who serve in the leadership life of the parish.

We’re hoping that most people will join us ‘in person’, and the cake always tastes better that way! But we will be seeking to be online as well via our “Trinity Churches Shrewsbury” Facebook link below. We will do all that we can to ensure fair participation of those online, but – unless asked specifically and we take more formal advice – we recognise that any voting representation will be limited to those who are present in the room.

We’ve set up a web page on which you’ll find all the necessary paperwork for the meeting in terms of agendas, accounts, reports etc. We are wanting to be good stewards and not use too much paper printing, but if you’d like a hard copy of anything please do ask the office and we’d be glad to print them for you.

Our APCM page with paperwork (updated but more to follow)

Join us online via Facebook Live

As we get ready for the APCM – as well as for other ideas this summer – we’ve got a really simple question for you. Got an answer? Look out for someone with a video camera at most of the Sunday congregations. Or let us know some suitable words you’d like to share.

Go on, give us an answer…

This Sunday sees the return of Sports Sunday before the 11am gathering. Please come ready to join in with some all age physical activity. All ages and stages are encouraged to get involved! Let us know if you have any specific physical needs and we can prepare games and activities with you in mind! Please note that under 11s should be accompanied by an over 16 yr old.

Let us know you’re coming…

Who’s been to Cafe Connect recently? Alongside Cloisters Cafe in the Trinity Centre on Tuesdays it’s been great to see increased customers at this stage of our COVID recovery. We’re open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday as well as Saturday mornings. You’ll find a warm welcome, great food and a listening ear on the menu. Our big ‘ask’, however, is to increase the size of the team. Come and spend a morning, lunchtime or afternoon volunteering? Full training provided!

Christian Aid week is coming up! This year Christian Aid Week will focus on the plight of drought which numerous countries around the world face. Your gifts could help people like Jessica set up water taps on her farm, learn to grow food, and provide seeds that thrive in drought – giving her all she needs to turn her dry, dusty land into a garden of hope. Envelopes will be available from the back of church as well as at Cafe Connect. Or you can give online via the Christian Aid website below.

Christian Aid Website

For the second year running we will be hosting a table at the Holy Trinity Belle Vue plant sale on Saturday 21st May, with proceeds going to charity. Now is a good time to prepare spare seedlings, cuttings, divided perennials, etc. to bring for sale if you would like to contribute. Please contact Julian Durbin on 07507 602906 for further information. And for those who have plants to sell, would you please drop them off at Holy Trinity Belle Vue between 9am and 10am on Saturday 21st May.

And do come on the day! We start at 10am, and alongside amazing plants for those feeling suitably green-fingered there will also be refreshments and cakes.