The Trinity Beacon
Winter 2009/10

From the Pastor's keyboard...

As I write this article, the sky is gray and the leaves, having freshly fallen from the trees, are blowing about in the wind. To the north, I can see dark clouds near the horizon; and, on the news, the weatherman is telling us to prepare for the possibility of snow. This scenario clearly reminds me that winter is just around the corner – and that’s kind of a bleak thought for someone like me. I tend to like the sun and the sand of summer a whole lot more than the ice and snow of winter. However, like old Chief Dan George used to say, “We shall endeavour to persevere.” There’s something good about the advent of winter though: with winter comes Christmas.

I must admit that the Christmas I’m thinking of so fondly isn’t the Christmas we so frequently see portrayed in the media – but rather the “real” Christmas. Unfortunately, in our society today, it seems that so many of us tend to get so caught up with planning parties, going to family gatherings or running ourselves ragged buying presents (often for people who don’t really want or need them anyway) that we forget what the season is really all about. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to come across like a Scrooge, (after all, I enjoy a good time just as much as the next person does), but simply enjoying good times with friends and family just isn’t what Christmas is really all about. It’s really about celebrating the birth of Jesus - the Son of God.

To help us remember this, there’s a story we’re reminded of each year about this time – an old story that’s been passed on from one generation to the next for the last two thousand years. It’s the story of two weary travellers: a man and his young pregnant wife. They were on a trip to a town called Bethlehem - his hometown, so they could participate in a local census. Back then, theirs wasn’t an easy trip - it was actually a very hard one. They didn’t have all the modern conveniences we have today, and unlike what many of us will be doing soon, they weren’t on their way “home for the holidays”. There was no festive family reunion awaiting them when they arrived at their destination; no yule log blazing in the hearth; no egg-nog; no freshly roasted turkey; no bread stuffing; and, no presents under a tree either. Instead, for this travel-weary young couple, that first Christmas Eve was nothing short of inhospitable. To make matters worse, the woman was going into labour.

Due to the influx of other travellers, accommodations in Bethlehem at the time were quite scarce. Upon arriving in town, the man went frantically from door to door looking for a safe place where he and his wife could bed down for the night. But no rooms were available, and no-one seemed to care about his wife’s urgent condition. Finally, someone took pity on them and provided a place for them to stay; not in a room - but in a stable. It wasn’t much, but at the time, it was definitely better than nothing.

A few hours later, the woman gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. They called him Yeshua. (That became later translated as “Jesus”.) He was the son of God. Though he was God’s son, the one who would ultimately grow up to become the Saviour of all humanity, he entered this world so quietly - and in such lowly circumstances.

As the years passed, this child grew into a passionate man who challenged the status-quo of the day. He also taught the people a new way of relating to each other - and to God. After a public ministry of just three short years, he was publicly humiliated and then brutally executed – dying like a common criminal on a Roman cross. But this was all part of God’s master plan. Jesus died so that we might live. In his death, the penalty for all our sin was paid. Then when he rose from the dead and went back to be with the Father, he left us with the promise that we could also be with God forever.

My friends, celebrating the birth of this special child is what this thing we call Christmas is really all about.

As we now approach another Advent/Christmas season, I pray that you and yours will be able to enjoy all the fun and the festivities of the season; but I also hope you’ll keep foremost in your mind the real “reason for the season” – the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Philip
Rev. Dr. Philip Wilson

There will be a brief congregational meeting immediately following the service of worship on December 6th for the purpose of affirming some of the elders (whose term of service is up at the end of this year) for another term of service.

At the congregational meeting at the end of February, we will be looking to welcome some new elders into the service of this congregation. If you’re approached by anyone from the Nominating Committee and asked to serve, please recognize it as a call from God and give it prayerful consideration

During the first half of 2009, the Session spent a fair amount of time considering the worship life of our congregation: where we’ve been in the past, where we are right now, and where we believe God wants us to be in the future. A number of ideas and possibilities were considered, including the possibility of creating a second service – maybe one with a more contemporary nature. Before proceeding any further, however, it was decided to seek some input from the congregation. To that end, it was decided to hold a “Worship Roundtable” at the end of September.

In the last edition of this newsletter (which came out in August), this information was made public and the congregation was encouraged to participate. It was also mentioned in the weekly bulletins and posted on the various bulletin boards. Interestingly enough, the congregational response was almost non-existent: only five people showed up to share their thoughts. At first glance, this seems to indicate a certain apathy among the congregation…and in fact, that may be partly true. But, more importantly, it indicated that there doesn’t seem to be a clash of different music styles seeking to be promoted in our current worship. This is actually a good thing, because when there are competing groups in churches attempting to promote the particular style of music they may personally like, what actually happens is that the people often get caught up in, and seduced by, our consumeristic society. When that happens, they get focused only upon what they may personally like in worship – and not what God likes. Worship becomes about us (which is actually heretical) and not about God.

As a result, this exercise has taught us something of vital importance about our communal worship life that we have now begun to actively promote here at Trinity: that Worship is something we do for God – not for ourselves. It’s not about us – it’s all about God.

Our regular Sunday morning worship services are held at 10:30 a.m. each week. During the Christmas Season, special evening services will be held December 20th (Blue Christmas Service) and December 24th (Christmas Eve Service.

Holy Communion: The next celebrations of the Lord’s Supper will be during the morning service on December 6th and during the evening service on December 20th. Come and share this holy feast,which our God so generously offers to each of us.. As we partake in the bread and the wine together, we remember our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ; and as we do, we become closer bound to him - and to each other.

On December 6th at 2:00 p.m., we will be hosting the Ninth Annual Memorial Service for our community hosted by P.X. Dermody Funeral Home. This is an opportunity for anyone in our community who is trying to prepare for Christmas while still struggling with the loss of a loved one this past year. Everyone is invited. A reception will follow in the church hall.

During the Advent and Christmas season, there are many who are suffering a loss or other personal crisis. For them, the festivities and busy activity of this season bring only stress and unhappiness. Recognizing this, on December 20th at 7:00 p.m., we will have our Blue Christmas Service offering Remembrance and Hope to those for whom this season often seems less than joyful.

Regular Sunday morning worship services begin at 10:30 a.m. each week.
Special Events
	Roast Beef Dinner & Auction Saturday, November 14th in the church hall. The auction begins at 5:30pm, and dinner will be served at 6:00pm. Donations for the auction are most welcome! Tickets will go on sale mid-October. Please watch for details.
	Christmas Bazaar Saturday, November 28, in the church hall between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Bring your family and friends and enjoy the Penny Sale, Cookie Walk, Baked Goods, Raffles, Soup & Sandwich Lunch, and holiday music!
	Advent Brunch Following the service on Sunday, December 13th. Enjoy great food, warm fellowship and share some holiday fun, including a Christmas carol sing-along, with your Trinity friends.

For more event details,
please contact Craig Kerr at 905-575-0209

During the late spring, there were some among us who thought we could do a good service to the community by providing an opportunity for parents with young ones to get away for a bit of a break each week.

The original intent was not to provide a full-fledged child-care program, but rather to provide space for people in the community to come and develop their own self-led program. In the end, there didn’t seem to be any real interest for this type of venture. It seems that people in this area are more interested in being consumers of programs run by others than in getting involved in running a program themselves.

Since we, as a congregation, currently have neither the physical nor the financial resources to provide such a service, it was decided not to pursue this idea any longer and instead focus our energies in other areas.

KidZone is an energizing weekly program for kids aged 5-11 years that combines faith, food, fun and friendship!

Every Monday evening between 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, kids can experience living the Christian faith through group dinners, co-operative recreation, uplifting worship & praise, reflective Bible study and prayer. KidZone is designed to nurture enriching Christian relationships, as participants celebrate being part of God’s family, as we eat, worship, study, and have a great time within a safe, encouraging environment!

Your kids, grandchildren, neighbour’s kids – any kids – will love being “in the Zone”.

Cost is only $3.00 per week per child (maximum of $5.00 per week per family) and includes a ‘kid-friendly’ dinner.

.

A member of the CE team has been participating in the Leading with Care Committee established to formulate a policy for ensuring a climate of safety for children, youth and vulnerable adults at Trinity.

As we ramp up activities for Sunday School in the new year, we can always use additional members for our team as well as teachers for Sunday School. If you feel God leading you to get involved by sharing your time and faith with our little ones, please talk with me at church on Sunday or call me @ 905-561-9743.

Sandra Hunt @ 905-575-008.

Trinity’s Mission Projects are a vital part of this Christian Community. It is through giving to others of our time, talent and treasures that we show in our deeds that we are truly following the Master’s Way in our lives.

The Mission and Outreach team thanks everyone who has been very supportive of the ongoing and special outreach projects at Trinity. Autumn has brought us back to the various monthly events that Trinity has been generously supporting.

SEPTEMBER: HIV/Aids: Deb Stinson was our Moment for Mission speaker.

OCTOBER: Stuffties and teddy bear collection: the items were sent to the Police Services for distribution to children during accident or other trauma situations.

NOVEMBER: Knitted items for the Mitten Tree and gifts for youth.

We thank Denise Lavery and her helpers for organizing the concert with Willie Ellison. The receipts are being sent to support the Cunaripo, Trinidad church construction.

Olive Branch Ministry: Trinity volunteers help at the Olive Branch Ministry on the second Saturday of each month as well as providing ongoing support through donations of personal items and clothing.

To assist others, we collect a number of items on an ongoing basis. You can find information in the Outreach Centre in the front entry of the church or ask any member of the team.

The team is always open to receiving new members. If you feel God urging you to get involved, please contact Betty Tarka at 905-383-6337.

Respectfully submitted Ruth Philip

This team meets about four times each year. The mandate is to be pro-active in making all feel welcome at Trinity. We would encourage anyone who would enjoy this form of Christian involvement to speak to Ruth Philip. 

During the year we continue with the greeting. As well we encourage visitors to sign the guest book and to join in the Fellowship Time in the Hall after the Sunday services. We ask those who can to wear name tags in order for all of us to be more familiar with the names of those we see on Sunday.

This team endeavours to maintain contact with as many persons as possible especially with new persons in the congregation or members whom we have not seen in a while. 

After Service Friendship Time: Each month, a Ministry Team or Group serves coffee, tea and chocolate milk with cookies. It is a great opportunity for all to get reacquainted with friends, get up-to-date on events going on in the church and especially to speak to new people.

The Welcome Team also greets each person at the Front Door as well as helps with the distribution of the Bulletins at the Sanctuary Door.

The Caring Ministry Team continues in its efforts to respond to the pastoral concerns of our beloved congregation. We minister by praying, visiting, telephoning and sending cards whenever necessary and appropriate.

Our team meets on the last Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m.in the Board Room. If you feel led in this direction, kindly join us and see what we are all about. At present, our team members are Rev. Gordon Reid, Sara Reid, Betty Tarka, Jennie Owen-Gallo, Karen Hobbs, Duncan Cairnie, Ben Gowing, Mary Cooper, Marilyn Clayborne and Bev Thomas.

This time of year can be a very busy and stressful time. For many of us, this is in a very happy way. It is also a time for deep reflection, memories of deceased loved ones, and thoughts of loved ones who are ill. As a result, for many, it is not a happy time. On behalf of all the members of the Caring Ministry Team, we would ask that each and every one of you say a prayer for all the sick and dying, not just in our congregation, but among all your friends and acquaintances.

Care notes and other literature are now located in the Resource Centre on the wall near the choir room. These are provided for you to take and read. We ask that when finished with them, you either pass them on, or return them to the church.

A Greeting Card Workshop is to take place on Monday, November 30th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the church hall. The workshop and all materials are provided free of charge. A sign-up sheet is provided on the bulletin board near the kitchen. Please sign if you are planning to attend so that sufficient materials may be provided.

Operation Lap Robe: Anyone wishing a free laprobe to give to a friend, relative or neighbor, or to keep for yourself, is asked to contact Bev Thomas at 905-383-6734.

On behalf of the Caring Ministry Team, we wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Respectfully submitted by Beverley Thomas.

Another year is almost behind us and we now anxiously prepare for the festive season with family and friends. During the season of Advent, we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. The gift of Christ our Saviour reminds us all of the real meaning of “giving”. With that thought in mind, I report to you the financial status of Trinity Presbyterian Church.

As of October 31st, our givings were approximately $16,000 below budget. All of our expenses are in line with what we approved at the AGM. The Board has worked hard to ensure that we do not overspend. As I reported verbally to the congregation on November 15th, we were encouraged by our status at the end of the summer; but, for some reason, we have really faltered the last couple of months. The good news is it is not too late to make up the shortfall so that we may be financially solid by year’s end.

It is important to note that because we have this $16,000 shortfall, we have had to borrow from some of our other designated funds in order to fulfill our monthly obligations. Obviously this is not sustainable and these funds are now exhausted.

For those that are unable to attend church every Sunday, please accept a friendly reminder that the PAR program is available to anyone that wishes to participate. We also accept post dated cheques.
The Board is also looking for some new members as we have had three retirements this year. If you feel God calling you in this direction and would be interested in joining the Board, please feel free to approach any Board member. We would love to have you join us.

As this will be the last correspondence for 2009, I know that at this special time of year, and with God’s help, we can overcome our current financial obstacles. Christmas is truly a time of giving and right now, Trinity needs everyone’s support.

Wishing the congregation a Merry Christmas!
Peter Gamble, Chair

Following a lack-lustre summer hiatus, the Senior Choir looked forward to beginning our Fall season resplendent in our brand new Choir Gowns. We completed this project on time and within budget thanks to the "Gown Committee" who also measured each one of us individually. When the new gowns arrived, each was labeled and made ready for the dedication last September. We are very pleased with our new look and hope you are too!

Next on the list was the preparation of new anthems for Sunday Services up to and including Advent. We have sadly missed our leader Auldeen at the helm over the past few weeks but were fortunate to have had the wonderful talent of Dolores Jarvis to carry us through our ministry of music each Sunday. Thank you Dolores!

The Trinity Bell Ringers have also continued to meet each week and took part in the Thanksgiving Service. We are now diligently practicing for our participation in the "Christmas Joy" Concert to be held at Trinity on Sunday evening, December 13th and hope you will be getting your tickets soon.

Christmas Concert

The Kaleidoscope Singers return to Trinity for a Special Christmas Concert once again this year.

Mark your calendars for Sunday evening, December 13th at 7:00 p.m.
Trinity Bell ringers under the direction of Auldeen will be taking part as well as soloists Steven B. Andrews and Simone Caruso. Bring your friends and enjoy an old-fashioned carol sing as well as hot cider and yuletide cookies.

Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family and will be on sale soon from choir members.

This is a Trinity Fund-Raising Event.

Respectfully submitted by Maureen Colvin

Stewardship Team

This year, the Stewardship Team is working to promote the “Stewardship of all Life". What this means is that all aspects of our life have to be taken into account when we consider what we bring to God; it’s not just about our money – it’s also about our time and our unique abilities (Time, Talent and Treasure).

In order to get some congregational input in this regard, the team organized a “Round Table” meeting which was held on April 1st. The meeting was well attended and we had meaningful discussions on numerous topic areas. Many great ideas came out of that meeting and those ideas have been categorized and then referred through Session to the various Ministry Teams for their consideration and possible implementation. Over the next few months, the Session and the various teams will be looking at these ideas.

We want to thank all who participated in the Round Table meeting. We also ask that you keep each of the Ministry Teams in your prayers as they work through each idea presented to them so that we may indeed realize the "Stewardship of all Life" as we minister to each other – and to the community around us.

For more information on our Team or any of the other Ministry Teams, please contact myself, Mona Satvedi or Denise Lavery.
Dorothy Trebych.

Opportunities for Service

All of our Ministry Teams are important to the overall ministry that is done here at Trinity, and all of our teams can use help from time to time. However, here are a few of our current needs:

Sunday School Teachers: Passing our faith on to the next generation is one of our most important functions as a congregation.
Contact Sandra Brown at 905-561-9743 if you are interested.

Nursery Caregivers: Safe, loving care for the infants and young ones enables their parents to fully join in the worshipping of Almighty God. Please sign the volunteer schedule on the bulletin board or contact Don Rourke at 905-385-5144.

Newsletter Editor: A quarterly newsletter keeps the whole congregation (including our shut-ins) apprised of coming events and other important information. Do you have this type of creative leaning? Is creating such documents something you might be interested in? If so, contact Reverend Wilson @ 905-385-5984.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE AT TRINITY

• Welcome Team
• Mission & Outreach Team
• Worship & Service Team
• Stewardship Team
• Senior Choir
• Bell Choir
• Friday Morning Men’s Group
• Tuesday Afternoon Ladies’ Group
• KidZone
• Caring Ministries
• Christian Ed/Sunday School
• Special Events Team
• Session
• Board of Managers

Personal Use of Church Facilities

In order to use the church facilities for some personal purpose, you need to follow this basic procedure:

1. Consult with the secretary to see if the date is indeed available.
2. Obtain permission from the Session to use the facilities. Session Meetings are usually held the third Tuesday of the month – except during July and August. Because of this meeting schedule, you are encouraged to plan ahead.
3. Once permission is granted, fill in the “Church Use” form (available in the office) and give it to the secretary accompanied by a fee of fifty (50) dollars.

After use, please leave the facilities as you found them.

PAR Information

“PAR” stands for “Pre-Authorized Remittance” and is the system that allows you to have your tithes/offerings automatically debited from your bank account on a monthly schedule. Many people find this more convenient than using envelopes. Brochures outlining the program can be found on the table in the front entry or on our website.

You are able to decide in advance which church funds your offering will support each month. You are still able to use a regular offering envelope (or a plain envelope with your offering number written on it) should you wish to make a special offering designated to a fund other than the ones specified in your PAR program.

Church Register

Recent Deaths/Funerals

September 16: Kenneth Murdock MacQuarrie
November 2: George Maynard Laking
November 9: Doris Hilda Shadwell
November 12: Lenore McDiarmid

Last year, the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Hamilton Endowment Fund was developed to look to the future needs of this faith community. In the years to come, it is hoped that resources placed in this fund will ensure that the ministries, programs and benevolences of Trinity will be adequately supported and that the physical facilities will be cared for without placing an undue burden on future generations.

The purpose of the Fund is to provide an opportunity for members and friends of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Hamilton to make bequests or gifts to the Church from their accumulated assets with the knowledge that these gifts will be used as designated by the donor in harmony with the goals of the Church for the ministries of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Hamilton beyond what would normally be possible through the annual operating budget of the Church.
The source of these funds may be from:

• bequests (wills and life insurance)
• gifts from family and friends (not memorial funds)
• RRSPs and RRIFs
• gift annuities
• publicly-listed securities (stocks, bonds, etc.)
• real estate

These funds may be of two types:

• General Funds (preferred) – those whose use of principal and /or income is not designated.

• Designated Funds – those whose use of principal and/or income is specifically designated by the donor.

Please consider contributing to this fund so that our facilities can be properly maintained and that the ministries which Christ calls us to can be adequately supported. More information about this important fund can be found on the table by the front entry of the church.

Honouring the past. Providing for the future

Memorial donations to Trinity Presbyterian Church honour the life and passions of a loved one who has died and help support continuing ministry to future generations. Such a treasured gift enables us to remember and honour not what our loved one died of – but rather what they lived for.

Have you ever noticed that when an obituary is placed in the public eye, very frequently at the end of the notice, they state: “in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to __________.” That blank
is usually filled with the name of the group or organization which helps out regarding the particular ailment that the person died of. But, is that really a fitting memorial to the person who has died? Would it not be more fitting to donate to something the person lived for – rather than what they died of? Think about this whenever you make a donation in memory of a friend or loved one.

To make a donation in memory of a loved one, please contact the church office.

Trinity Presbyterian Church
720 Ninth Avenue,
Hamilton, ON
L8T 2A3

905-385-5984    :: email ::

QUICK REFERNCE

Christmas Eve Service
Begins at 7:00 p.m.

Dr. Philip Wilson
is usually in the office
Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to noon.

Office Administration
Chris Philips is in the office
Monday to Friday, from 9 am to noon.

Regular Service Hours
Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Sundays

Summer Hours (July – August)
Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. Sunday

Newsletter Submissions
All ministry teams and groups are encouraged to use The Beacon to get their information out to all the members of our congregation.

Hospital Visits
If you or anyone you know was admitted to the hospital and would like a pastoral visit, please make sure you notify the office (905) 385-5984

Notices for the Bulletin
reports to be printed, or other items for the attention of the office can be left in the mailbox labelled “Office” or sent to our email address:  trinitypc@auracom.com

Holy Communion
The next celebrations of the Lord’s Supper will be on September 13th. and on October 4th (World Communion Sunday). Come and share this holy feast, which our God so generously offers to each of us. As we partake in the bread and the wine together, we remember our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ; and as we do, we become closer bound to him - and to each other.