Trinity Tidings | June 26th Edition
Sunday Worship
Last Sunday. . .
Pastor Opalinski reminded us that in a world that often feels upside down, we are not called to save it — Jesus does that. Our call is simpler: to offer a cup of cold water, one person at a time, trusting that even the smallest gesture of love can carry the kingdom.
This Sunday. . .
"We're on a mission from God!" In her sermon, Dcs. Deborah will invite us to consider the timeless catechetical Lutheran question, "What does this mean?"
Our guest musician is DaNece Lyman. She is a violinist and educator with extensive experience performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player throughout the United States and internationally. She has performed with professional ensembles including the Boise Philharmonic, Ballet West Orchestra, and The Orchestra at Temple Square, and has served as concertmaster for numerous ensembles, including international tours in Spain. DaNece is passionate about sharing her love of music through private violin instruction, early childhood music education, and performing with local groups throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions.
After Worship. . .
Our Fellowship Committee will be hosting a special reception to honor and thank the Trinity Gardeners. Also Kristen Opalinski will be presenting her vision for Trinity’s 275th Congregational Mosaic Project - learn more about this exciting project below!
July-August Steeple Notes
Now Available
The Spirit is Moving on Mondays — Common Ground Recovery Community has a new Monday rhythm! The day includes food and clothing distribution, a free mobile shower trailer, worship, and a shared meal. Volunteers of all kinds are welcome.
What Does It Mean to Be First? — Pastor Hans Becklin reflects on Trinity's identity as Reading's first house of worship, and what that legacy should mean for the congregation's future.
Blessings in Abundance — Trinity continues nurturing young musical talent by hosting the Reading Musical Foundation's scholarship recital and partnering with the Reading Symphony to provide free instruments and lessons to local students.
Sanctuary Renovation Highlights — Work is well underway, with organ pipes, pianos, and windows carefully removed and scaffolding filling the sanctuary — including a remarkable discovery of a signed window casing from 1796. Check out Matthew Mellen's photo essay!
Trinity 275 Congregational Mosaic Project
First Session June 28 after Worship
This summer we will begin a truly unique project to celebrate our 275th anniversary as a congregation. The welcome center will become our collective canvas as we create a one-of-a-kind mosaic designed by Kristen Opalinski. This mosaic will serve as time capsule of sorts - a collection of photos of current Trinity members, historical photos, fabrics and fragments, and images that reflect our life together and our ministry in the city of Reading and beyond! This project will be a multi-phase journey that will allow us to reflect on our identity as Trinity Lutheran Church, commemorate our long history as a congregation, and envision where the Holy Spirit is leading us next.
We'll begin the first phase of the project this summer with a collaboration session after church on June 28, led by Kristen. She'll present her vision for the project and guide those in attendence through a collective ideation exercise. In the next phase we’ll invite members of the congregation to bring in their photos, images, drawings, fabric pieces, and other fragments that tell a story to share with the group. Whatever you bring to share may end up being used within the mosaic, so please don't bring anything you don't wish to part with. For instance, if it's an original photo, consider bringing a copy instead. We'll give you further parameters as we get closer to that part of the process.
These items will be used to build a modern triptych mosaic, with each panel representing one of the three persons of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Additional phases will also include congregational engagement as we move into the fall and winter, with the plan to finish the piece ahead of the conclusion of our 275th anniversary year next Spring.
Field Trip to Trappe for
"Lutherans and the Revolutionary War"
Friday, July 24 from 1:00 - 4:00PM
As we celebrate US250 and Trinity's 275th, join Pr. Hans and Dcs. Deborah for a special, guided tour of Trappe on the theme "Lutherans and the Revolutionary War". We'll learn about how colonial Lutherans, including some of Trinity's own pastors and congregants, were involved in the Revolutionary endeavor as well as having the opportunity to see church artifacts rarely on display.
The tour will begin at Dewees Tavern, 301 W. Main St. Trappe, PA at 2 PM sharp, although we would recommend that you arrive around 1 PM in order to see the historic Augustus Lutheran Church as well (entrance included in your ticket, but only open from noon to 2 PM). A carpool will leave Trinity's lot at noon for the 50-minute drive to Trappe
Sign up below for $25/person. When you sign up, you will be able to indicate if you will be driving yourself or would prefer to carpool from Trinity.
As we celebrate US250 and Trinity's 275th, join Pr. Hans and Dcs. Deborah for a special, guided tour of Trappe on the theme "Lutherans and the Revolutionary War". We'll learn about how colonial Lutherans, including some of Trinity's own pastors and congregants, were involved in the Revolutionary endeavor as well as having the opportunity to see church artifacts rarely on display.
The tour will begin at Dewees Tavern, 301 W. Main St. Trappe, PA at 2 PM sharp, although we would recommend that you arrive around 1 PM in order to see the historic Augustus Lutheran Church as well (entrance included in your ticket, but only open from noon to 2 PM). A carpool will leave Trinity's lot at noon for the 50-minute drive to Trappe.
Sign up here for $25/person. When you sign up, you will be able to indicate if you will be driving yourself or would prefer to carpool from Trinity.
Parking Lot Update
Out of an abundance of caution, we have closed the southeastern corner of our parking lot (12 spaces) after a recent engineering assessment indicated some structural vulnerabilities in the burnt-out building to our lot’s south.
We have obtained additional parking behind the Berks Trust Building for Sunday morning, thanks to member Lawrence Fredricks! That lot is at the corner of Reed and Washington Streets. Additionally, we continue to have access to the parking lots of the M&T Bank Building and Mogel, Speidel, Bobb and Kershner.
If you are of above-average mobility, please try to park in one of these additional lots first. There are also many street parking spots available most Sundays. All our parking options are shown in yellow on the above map!
Common Ground Recovery Community
Looking For a Few Volunteers
We are excited to announce the start of the Drop In Center for
Common Ground Recovery Community at Trinity opening on June 1st!
Every Monday we will open to the community from 1-5 pm We are inviting you to help us help others in the midst of recovery. The volunteer needs are set up, assisting with activities such as board games, chess, art projects, etc. If you have a skill like yoga, budgeting, art, bible conversation leader or faith conversations, we would love you to help us lead! Click here to sign up.
