This coming Sunday, May 21, Youth Group will be leading our worship services at both 8 and 10:30am, as I’m sure you have heard by now! Sometimes, when people hear that the youth are leading a service, they imagine it will be, perhaps, a simplified and sweet form of worship. I can assure you that these services will be complex, thoughtful, and evocative.

The teenagers of Trinity have written reflections on the scriptures which will reveal to you the depth of their own spiritual perceptions and will challenge you to consider deeply what they have to say. Our youth have written prayers which will put before you their greatest concerns and will bid you to respond with action to their priorities.

Some of the most thoughtful spiritual insights I have ever heard have come from the youth and children of Trinity Church, so  I heartily commend these services to you.

Personally, I am profoundly grateful to all of my colleagues who work with the children and youth here at Trinity: Emily,  Connor, Annie, Kara, Paul, as well as our seminary interns. Everyone interacts with the kids with dignity and respect. The spiritual and personal integrity of every young person is valued. Here, our children and young people are talked to, and talked with, and never talked at, or down to. I know none of us would expect otherwise, but this doesn’t necessarily happen in every congregation. The baptismal vow to “respect the dignity of evey human being” has taken hold in this commuity, and the fruit of this committment it readily visible in the consistently growing Youth Group and the joyfully, increasingly crowded north transept.    

It is a commonplace in christian communities to say that children and teenagers are the future of the church. When I put that idea before our youth and asked them what they thought of that,  they were adamantly happy to point out they are not the church of the future, they are the church of right this minute. 

Of course, they are charming, and energetic, and creatively expressive. These are not naïve limitations; these are essential gifts. When Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,” Jesus was not urging us to make sure kids are tolerated. Jesus is offering an admonition to recognize that young people have spiritual sensitivities — just as we had when we were young, that must not be overlooked, nor taken for granted, nor go unheard.

It will be a blessing to us all to hear directly from our youth this Sunday.

May the vitality our young people bring to worship invigorate us all with a joyous energy that will lead us all — of all ages, all together — to grow into the full stature of Christ.

See you Sunday! 

Most faithfully,

Wherever you are now, you’d better be at Trinity Church this Sunday, May 21! Our 8am and 10:30am services will feature prayers and scriptural reflections presented by Trinity’s teenagers!

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, Pentecost, May 28, Trinity Church will shift to our summer service schedule:

Holy Communion Rite I at 8am
Holy Communion Rite II at 10am (instead of 10:30am)

As announced, our Adult Forum at 9:30am and Youth Group at 6pm have already ended for the summer. The last day of Church School is this Sunday, May 21.

Sunday, May 28 will also feature our last Evensong at 5pm (with reception to follow) of the program year, as well as our last evening service.

As announced, Monday–Friday, Morning Prayer at 7:45am is now being held only on Zoom and Evening Prayer has been suspended for the summer.

After Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, midweek services on Tuesdays at 12pm and Wednesdays at 5:30pm will also be suspended for the summer.

However, this summer will feature several exciting special events, including:

• our annual Vacation Bible School with programming for all ages;

• pick-up choirs featuring men, women, children, and everyone on select Sundays;

• a trip to St. Thomas’ Fifth Avenue;

• our annual baseball outing;

• a Trinity night at a Princeton Festival concert with reception to follow;

• and an afternoon Kayaking on the Canal.

Unless already advertised, we will release more details about these special events and how you can participate over the coming weeks.

Arm In Arm gets a great many volunteers from local schools and colleges throughout the school year. Now that many students have gone home they are looking for volunteers to help with their mobile deliveries handing out groceries at different sites in Trenton.

Please reserve your spot now to help them out. They do a great service to neighborhoods that do not have a food pantry nearby.  

From now until May 31, 2023, you can increase your donation fourfold to our outreach partner, Episcopal Relief, which helps communities struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease around the world.

Any amount you give by May 31 will be matched by Trinity Church’s Outreach Program, and that combined amount will be matched by a private donor. So, if you give $100 to Episcopal Relief, your gift will be quadrupled to $400.

July 9-14, 2023 at Trinity Church
Registration Deadline: June 2, 2023

After a four year pandemic-related hiatus, the Prosopon School returns to Trinity Church for a six-day workshop during which first-time students will complete an icon of the Archangel Michael using natural materials and centuries old techniques. Previous artistic experience is helpful but not necessary! You will be given step-by-step instructions and all materials are provided. Click here for further information and to download a flyer and registration information or contact Maureen at maureen@iconodulestudio.com.

Please note that the registration deadline is soon: June 2, 2023, so hurry to reserve your spot!

Coordinator: Maureen McCormick (maureen@iconodulestudio.com)

We are holding our end of season Parish Picnic on Celebration Sunday, June 4. We need volunteers to help with set-up, serving, and clean up. If you have any questions or want to help, please contact Carol Thomas by email at carolbrooksthomas@gmail.com or by phone (609) 954-2913. We also need folks to bring desserts for the picnic. Please make sure they’re already in individual servings.

On Sunday, June 4, we will recognize all of our congregation’s graduates. If you want your graduating child or grandchild, whether high school or college seniors, graduate or post-graduate students, to be in the booklet, please email Adam Bond a picture, their full name, the high school or college from which they are graduating, their degree if applicable, and a short summary of future plans. All information must be in by Sunday, May 28 to be included in the booklet.

This week is the final week of Church School for the 2022-2023 year. Thank you for a wonderful year! We will be restarting Church School in September, so keep an eye on the ePISTLE for registration info as summer draws to a close!

Compassion Camp VBS will be held June 26-29, 5:30–8pm. Visit the event listing for more information and to register now.

Volunteers Needed for VBS: We are looking for volunteers for Compassion Camp VBS during the last week in June! We need craft and activity leaders, set-up and clean-up teams, food-prep and kitchen teams, and shepherds to guide the campers to our activity stations. The dates are June 26-29, 5:30–8pm We will be serving dinner and cold dessert each night. There is a volunteer training on the evening of June 19th. Please contact Emily at pruszinskie@trinityprinceton.org for more information and to volunteer.

Schedule Reminder: Service times will change to 8 & 10am (instead of 10:30am) on Sunday, May 28. For a more complete overview of our summer schedule, read the announcement.

June 26–29, 5:30–8pm
at Trinity Church
(33 Mercer St, Princeton)

Compassion Camp is a program where kids and families explore what it means to have compassion for others, ourselves, and the world. When we bring compassion into our relationships and into the world, we partner with God in bring God's love and justice into the world.