Trinity Tidings | October 9th Edition
Sunday Worship
Click on the bulletin to view it.
Last Sunday. . .
Last Sunday, Pastor Hans followed Jesus’ vineyard parable to its surprising turn: the owner’s son, the heir, is cast out and killed, and the harvest the owner was counting on comes from him anyway. It arrives, Pastor Hans said, at this table. You can listen to the whole sermon here.
This Sunday. . .
Trinity Choir sings the 16th-century English motet “Rejoice in the Lord” during the offertory. The piece moves back and forth between dramatic passages where the voices enter one after another and moments where they sing together as one, then returns to where it began.
Pastor Hans preaches, and worship begins at 10:00 a.m.
John Painter Organ Concert
Tonight, Friday, October 9th at 7:00 PM
Organist John Painter performs in concert tonight, Friday, October 9th, at 7:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 435 Court Street, as part of the Fall Festival of the Arts. Admission is a free-will offering. A Schuylkill Valley High School graduate, Painter earned degrees from Bard College and the Manhattan School of Music, has served congregations across Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, performed recitals in the United States and France, and spent six years teaching in Morocco.
Learn more on the Fall Festival of the Arts website.
Ghost Talk with Charlie Adams
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 10th
“Many secrets and stories dwell within and around Trinity Lutheran Church.” Join author and storyteller Charles J. Adams III at 7:13 p.m. tomorrow, October 10th, to explore those tales not often told.
Charlie Adams — the Berks County author and broadcaster who has spent decades collecting the region’s ghost stories — comes to Trinity for an evening of them in the All Saints Room. The evening is open to the public and parking is in Trinity’s lot. Tickets are $5, and seating is limited.
Get Your TicketsHelp Put the Sanctuary Back Together
Monday, October 19th and Tuesday, October 20th
The sanctuary restoration is nearing its close, and the contractors expect to finish in the next few days. Now it’s time to bring everything back, and we need volunteers of all talents and skills: people to lift and move furniture, people to install delicate items like the sconce globes, Bibles, and communion cards, and people to clean items before and after they’re moved.
On Monday, October 19th, beginning at 5:30 p.m., vestry members Franki Aitken and Allison Kalbach will lead a crew to wash the 58 glass globes for the wall sconces. If we have enough hands, we’ll also dust off the hymnals that were removed from the pews for painting and return them to their places.
On Tuesday, October 20th, beginning at 6:00 p.m., Steve Hofmann will lead a crew to move the altar, presider’s chairs, lectern, tables, baptismal font, and more back into the sanctuary and narthex, while we continue installing the sconce globes. Come for one night or both, and help bring our sanctuary home. If you’d like to help, just talk with Franki, Allison, or Steve.
Save the Date: October 25th
Reserve by Thursday, October 15th
Mark Sunday, October 25th, Reformation Sunday, on your calendar. Our sanctuary will be opened once more and set apart for worship in a service of reconsecration, with the procession at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:00 a.m. Worship is open to all.
At noon, the celebration continues with the 275th Anniversary Banquet at the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 North Fifth Street. Seating is limited, so please reserve by Thursday, October 15th. Register online below, or sign up and pay in person after worship this Sunday.
Register HereCROP Hunger Walk
Trinity is walking again in the Reading Berks CROP Hunger Walk this Sunday, October 11th, at Gring’s Mill, and this year the team goal is $751 — one dollar for every year since the congregation began meeting in 1751. Walk with us, or support the team, here.
Sponsor Worship on Our First Sunday Back
Both worship sponsor spots for Sunday, October 25th are open, and this is a rare chance to be part of a day our congregation has waited for: our first worship back in the sanctuary.
Each of the two sponsors may take home one bouquet or designate that it be donated. The altar guild will then determine the best recipient with staff, lay visitors, and the congregational care team. Sponsors and their dedications will be listed in the bulletin and on the broadcast.
To sponsor worship on October 25th, please email Rachel.
"Beautiful" Trinity Night Out Friday, October 30th — Reserve by October 11th
Megan Opalinski as Genie Klein in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Jan Opalinski has reserved Trinity a table at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Friday, October 30th, with Megan Opalinski in the cast. The buffet dinner is at 6:00 p.m. and the show at 7:30, and the group rate is $70 for the show, the meal, taxes, and gratuities. Carpooling will be arranged. Sign up and pay in person at the Welcome Center by October 11th.
Trinity Transporters
“Let all that you do be done in love” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
As we walk with and pray for our members in their lives, we are starting a new ministry providing the gift of transportation. Trinity Transporters is a new subcommittee created under our Trinity Care and Concern Committee. The purpose of this ministry is to provide transportation for those who are in need if they have a doctor appointment, outpatient surgery, or other appointments and they do not have a way to reach their destination or return home.
We are looking for those who might be willing to give an hour or two to transport those in need. If so, please contact Deaconess Deborah, Donna Osborne, or Beth Welz — or call the church office at 610-374-4861.
This ministry started in September, and if you do require assistance, please contact one of the three listed above, and we will get you set up with a driver. Be assured, this will be very confidential.
Please consider being a part of this much-needed and vital ministry.
Thank you so much,
Trinity’s Care and Concern Committee
A Moment in Trinity’s History
To celebrate Trinity’s 275th anniversary, we are featuring a historical event each week, curated by Danielle Smith, a Wilson senior and a member of our 275th Anniversary Committee. We will mark many of these events in the week they happened!
Trinity Begins Worshiping in English (1842)
The decision was made to introduce English preaching on August 29, 1842.
In 1842, Trinity began using English in its services. Many articles had been published urging the congregation to introduce English into its worship, and the change aroused some bitter feelings. It led to a rift in the congregation, and a number of families left to form St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. Language was not the only reason they left, however. “New measures” were being introduced in parts of the Lutheran church, trying to align Trinity with other English Protestant churches, and these had some influence in the decision to break away.
Did You Catch This Week’s Renovation Video?
New renovation videos are posted on Fridays and do not always get featured in the weekly email. All of the renovation videos have been added to a playlist on YouTube that you can access here.
Common Ground Recovery Community
Looking For a Few Volunteers
Every Monday we are open to the community from 1–5 p.m. We are inviting you to help us help others in the midst of recovery. Volunteers are needed for setup and to help with activities such as board games, chess, and art projects. 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.
