Are We Ready?

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,  

Tomorrow, our Advent journey comes to a close, and we transition swiftly and seamlessly into the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord. In our case at Trinity Church, this will happen between the 8 AM Advent IV service and the first service of Christmas Eve at noon. The hangings will change. The vestments will change. The readings, hymns, and prayers will change. The Baby Jesus will find his way to the creche. We will transition from expectation and preparation to a celebration of the truth of the Incarnation of God’s word made flesh in Jesus.  

However, the transition is so much more than changing hangings, colors, readings, and hymns. This transition is about changing our hearts, souls, minds, and lives. For Christ has been born, and that truth changes everything about who we are, who we can be, what the world is, and what the world can be and indeed will be in and through the redemptive love of Jesus.  

And we must remember that Christ came not to celebrate the perfection of the world but to redeem its brokenness. Christ came not because of our successes and achievements but rather quite the contrary because of the truth of our tears, fears, longings, and loneliness. So, I ask you and me and all of us - Are we ready? Are we ready to allow Christ into those places of our lives where light so desperately needs to shine? Are we ready to let Christ’s loving hand touch the places where pain and resentment reside? Are we ready to allow Christ into our hearts so we might not only believe in Christ but trust in Christ? Are we ready to go to the manger and see in the innocence of an infant the power to change the world, the source of life that animates all of creation, the one in whom and through whom we are saved? Are we ready?      

Christmas blessings to all,

Twelfth Night Party

Friday, January 5, 6pm: Twelfth Night Party with Trinity 20s-30s Fellowship and the Episcopal and Lutheran seminary fellowships. Seminary students and Trinity 20s-30s folks are invited to join us for a party to celebrate the 12th day of Christmas! If yo have not already done so, please RSVP now at this link. https://forms.gle/UqRei39nJLEeVBcYA

We will provide dinner - bring a beverage, a dessert, or just yourself! We need a headcount for food by Thursday evening, and we would like to know about any dietary restrictions you might have.

Christmas Pageant

Dear Good People of Trinity,  

This Sunday is the joyous celebration of our annual Christmas Pageant, a time when the youngest members of our church family not only narrate the story of our Savior's birth but also breathe life into its very essence. They don't just tell the tale; they embody it, infusing it with vibrancy and life. Their portrayal of gentle lambs, angels, shepherds, and figures like Gabriel, Mary, Joseph, brings the story alive for us in new and wonderful ways.  

In their roles, the children extend an invitation for us not merely to witness but to actively discover our own roles within the beauty and power of the Christmas story. Moreover, they invite us to discern our place in the ongoing narrative of God and God’s people. As the children transition through the roles of the pageant, so do we, as we mature and evolve in our faith. This becomes a living testament to the dynamic nature of our spiritual journey, as God continually works within us in unexpected and transformative ways.   I invite you to join us this Sunday, not just to hear the familiar recounting of our Savior's birth but to fully immerse yourself in the profound experience. Come, discover your role in the ongoing narrative of healing in our world. Your presence is not merely that of an audience; you are the living words of the ever-unfolding story.  

Advent Blessings to all,


Advent Poinsettia Plant Delivery

On Friday, December 15 through Sunday, December 17, the Flower Ministry is conducting our annual Advent Poinsettia Delivery.  We bring this touch of Christmas cheer to members of our community to say “Trinity Church is thinking of you.”  A great example of our mission to Care for One Another; we need volunteers of all ages to deliver the plants. 

We are hoping to get enough volunteers to create pairs of people to deliver the plants. We provide a list of recipients, and the deliveries are grouped by location, so it only takes 1-2 hours.  The day and time you deliver is up to you.  It is a wonderful activity, and one that families often like to do together.

If you want to join this enjoyable and worthwhile event, please contact Terri Hassett Brown either by email at terribrown4@gmail.com, or by phone:  609-915-3800.  

Volunteer with Arm in Arm on March 1

Arm in Arm is a long-time partner of Trinity Church, helping Mercer County residents in need with food and housing assistance.  Join fellow parishioners on Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 10 am to Noon as we prepare food packages for their pantry.  We'll be doing this at Arm in Arm's facility at 1 N. Johnston Ave, Suite A230 in Hamilton NJ.  Families are welcome but this activity is not recommended for young children.  Please contact Melissa Scott at mebscott@comcast.net to register or for questions.

Stewardship Update

Joy to the world, the Lord is coming and our Savior reigns!  As we look forward to our celebration of the birth of Jesus let us not forget our brothers and sisters who are hungry, homeless and experiencing challenges living day to day.  It is through your financial support to Trinity that enables us to answer Jesus’ call, Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did for me.”  Your PLEDGE enables us to not only “keep our lights on” but to remember and show our concern for all of God’s children.   Thank you if you have pledged, and please, pledge today if you haven’t.  As of mid-week we have 249 families and individuals who have pledged with a total of $839,679 toward our goal of $1,000,000.

With gratitude for your support,

Trudy Sykes and Bill Hackett

Stewardship Co-Chairs

It is with heartfelt appreciation that we thank the following members of our Trinity community who pledged for 2024. We Are Trinity Church! 

  • E. Kim Adams & Terrance O'Malley

  • Mary Elizabeth Allen

  • Judith Anderson

  • Linda Anderson

  • Greta Anderson

  • Nathan and Celeste Arrington

  • Betsy Ashton and James Stepleton

  • Vicki Austin-Smith

  • Louise Bachelder

  • Steven and Elizabeth Baglio

  • Janet Baker

  • Mark Baker and Susan Dibs

  • Barbara Banks

  • Grayson Barber

  • Daniel and Jennifer Bartell

  • Paul and Holly Becker

  • Micael and Betsy Bell

  • Andrew and Stephanie Benjamin

  • Merrill Biancosino

  • David and Bonnie Bivins

  • Michael Blaakman and Angharad Rebholz

  • Jayne Blankenship

  • Brett Boal and Lisa Shepard

  • Sheila Bodine

  • Raju and Lindsey Bohra

  • James and Olivan Boon

  • Henry and Michele Bowden

  • Benjamin Brand

  • Leslie Brecknell

  • Rebecca Brewer and Keith Snedeker

  • Dcn Henry and Susan Bristol

  • Ted and Barbara Bromley

  • Carol Brooks Thomas

  • Eric and Therese Brown

  • Greta Brown

  • Peter and Elizabeth Brown

  • Anne Bryson

  • Ryan Bubb

  • Margaret Burger

  • William Burks

  • B Thomas and Barbara Byrne

  • Jeanie and John Byrne

  • Kristen Callahan

  • Marlene Carlson

  • Milton and Elizabeth Charbonneau

  • Charles and Julia Chesebrough

  • Jeannette Ching

  • Valerie Ching

  • Dora Ching and Richard Wong

  • Linda Clark

  • Wendell Collins

  • Jeanne Conerly and David Venturo

  • Joseph and Donna Crafford

  • Donna Culin

  • Carter Cunningham

  • Randall and Heidi Currier

  • Daniel and Tracy Dart

  • Helene Davies

  • C VanLeer and Lynne Davis

  • Trey Delaney

  • Julia Denny Clark

  • Carol Desmond

  • Mike and Brenda Deverell

  • Adrian and Suzanne Dicker

  • Angela and Edward DiJoseph

  • Jacob and Patricia Dlamini

  • Annette Duvall-Atlee

  • Francis and Caryl Dyckman

  • Michael and Leslie Edwards

  • Anne Elliott

  • Shawn and Roberta Ellsworth

  • Art and Cheryl Eng

  • Alexander Englert and Luise Lampe

  • John Eory

  • Gustav and Constance Escher

  • Abigail Rian Evans

  • Larry and Wendy Evans

  • Stephen and Cheryl Evans

  • Marisa and Richard Farnum

  • Anne Faynberg

  • Evelyn Flory

  • Robert and Elizabeth Fraser

  • John Frederick

  • Antonia Fried

  • Richard and Mary Funsch

  • Vikram Galla and Pradeepa Jayakumar

  • Jeanne Garner

  • Julia Garry

  • Alexander Gedye and Fang Yan

  • Gregory Geehern

  • Aristides and Elizabeth Georgantas

  • Albert and Patricia Gerbig

  • Alexandra Gerry

  • Victor and Jacqueline Gibbs

  • Curtis and Sophie Glovier

  • Lloyd and Kari Gold

  • Solveig Gold and Joshua Katz

  • John and Judith Golden

  • Robin Gosnell

  • Allie Graham-Hicks and Margaret Hicks

  • John and Rebecca Griffith

  • Robert and Wanda Gunning

  • James and Kammi Gunton

  • William and Katharine Hackett

  • Helen Hannan

  • Carrie Hanson

  • Janet Haring

  • Dr Margaret Harper and Michael Gratkowski

  • Christine Hart

  • Dan and Nell Haughton

  • Jeanne-Louise Haviland

  • Jennifer Hayden

  • William and Aline Haynes

  • Donald Healy

  • Irene Hechler

  • JoAnn Heisen

  • Scott and Wendy Heiser

  • Dennis and Terri Hermann

  • Neal and Cynthia Hesterberg

  • Curtis Hoberman

  • Jim and Meg Holland

  • Charles and Lucia Huebner

  • Mary Hulme

  • Stu Hunter

  • Gregg H Hutchison

  • Andrea Hyde

  • Paul and Christina Jeanes

  • Lawrence and Deborah Jordan

  • Bruce Jordan and Jeanne Perantoni

  • Belrena Kelemen

  • Joyce Kelleher

  • Kenneth and Linda Kelly

  • Scott and Larissa Kelsey

  • John and Mary Kemp

  • Lanny King

  • Allan King and Helen Burke

  • Michael and Louise Kingston

  • Dana Klinges

  • David Knowlton and Diane Zompa

  • Nina Kola

  • Fred and Gina Kornfeind

  • Alex and Tricia Krajunus

  • Ira Lackey

  • David Lamb

  • William and Martha Lashbrook

  • Penelope Lattimer

  • Andrea Lauber

  • Ann Laughlin

  • Owen and Beverly Leach

  • Christopher Leavell and John Cooper

  • Lily Leonard

  • Lynn Lepore

  • Emma Levitt

  • Robert Lewis

  • Constance Leyden

  • Frank and Sharon Lorenzo

  • Kay Mack

  • Jean Mahoney

  • Robert and Joanna Martin

  • Sean and Alicia McCarther

  • Mark McConnell and Kangyan Chen

  • Maureen McCormick and Phillip Unetic

  • Lindsay McDowell

  • Scott McGoldrick and Linda Noel

  • Gary and Shirley McKnight

  • James and Julie Meidlinger

  • Robert Meier

  • Edwin and Nancy Metcalf

  • Jim Meyer

  • Theresa Meyers

  • John and Denise Miller

  • Douglas and Debbier Minck

  • Thalia Mingo

  • Donn Mitchell

  • Marc and Tina Marie Mitchell

  • Edmund Moeller

  • Dorothy Morin

  • John and Lauri Mulvey

  • Clive and Dulcie Muncaster

  • Jennifer Nasser

  • Sarah Jones Nelson

  • Joan Nester

  • Ronald Novak

  • Michael and Morgane O'Connell

  • Elaine Pagels

  • Peter and Els Paine

  • Stephen and Susan Paneyko

  • Constantin and May Papastephanou

  • Herman and Rosemary Parish

  • Dee Patberg

  • Deborah Pege

  • Anil and Nithila Peter

  • James Phillips

  • Joseph and Marte Pierson

  • Robert and Shirley Pietrucha

  • Conrad and Rebecca Plimpton

  • Madeline Polhill

  • John Pollock

  • Robert Predale and Karen Howard

  • Frances Preston

  • Jolyon and Emily Pruszinski

  • Peter and Mary Anne Quinn

  • Gil and Camille Quinton

  • Paul Raeder and Robert Holley

  • John Rassweiler

  • Elizabeth Read

  • Rebecca Reynolds

  • Abigail and Spencer Reynolds

  • Juliet Richardson and John Wynne

  • Lester and Barbara Robbins

  • Claire Roberts

  • William and Maeryn Roebling

  • Linda Rothkopf

  • Wesley Rowell

  • Clarence and Leslie Rowley

  • Ralph and Barbara Rubano

  • Henry Rulon-Miller

  • Sherrie Russell-Brown

  • Susan Sanford

  • Blaise and Ramona Santianni and Romero

  • John and Ruth Sayer

  • William and Lisa Schmid

  • Crawford Schneider

  • David and Molly Schneider

  • William Schowalter

  • Thomas and Melissa Scott

  • Edith Senyumba

  • Elizabeth Sheldon

  • J Nicole Shelton

  • Jane Shillaber

  • Tara Sikma

  • Kara Slade

  • Steve and Jean Snyder

  • Thomas and Margaret Southerland

  • John and Carol Spears

  • Vernon and Elaine Spencer

  • James and Michelle Stabler-Havener

  • James and Monica Stahl

  • Michael and Jody Stebbins

  • Anne Steinhorn

  • Elizabeth Stenard

  • Rob and Pegi Stengel

  • Mary Stevens

  • William and Joanna Storrar

  • John Sturges

  • John Sully and Katherine Rohrer

  • William A Sweeney

  • Gary and Trudy Sykes

  • Joseph Syzdek and JoAnn Witherow

  • Susan Tarr

  • Constance Tate

  • Sandi Tatnall

  • Sylvia Temmer

  • Jovi and Nancy Tenev

  • Andros Thomson

  • John Thurman and Hilary Winter

  • Daphne Townsend

  • James Trowbridge

  • Linda Twining

  • Martin and Joan Valcin

  • Janet Van Abs

  • Sara Vasiliu

  • Henry and Meredith Von Kohorn

  • Robert von Zumbusch

  • Ronald Waetzman and the Rev Stephen Connor

  • Brent Walker

  • J Calvin and Judy Walker

  • M'lou Walker

  • John and Happy Wallace

  • Carol Walsh

  • Robert Walsh

  • Wendy Warren and Joseph Fronczak

  • Amy and Jeff Watkins

  • George and Judy Webb

  • Ann Weeks

  • Christy Welborne

  • Dorothy Werner

  • Cynthia Westbrook

  • Maureen Westerman

  • Dennis Wheeler and Catherine O’Neill

  • Frederick Wherry and James Furst

  • Constance White

  • John and Susanne White

  • John White and Mary Alden

  • Cheryl Whitney

  • Amelia Willson

  • John and Kathleen Winant

  • Bruce Woodger

  • Stuart and Winifred Woody

  • Gil Woody

  • Richard and Ann Zultner

Advent Credo

I love this poem by Allan Boesak.  It speaks to the mystery of Advent, and particularly to the reality of the in-breaking of Christ into our lives in a profound way. Allan Boesak  is a South African pastor and theologian in the Dutch Reformed Church, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and author. This poem is taken from his book Walking on Thorns. As you read these words, I invite you to reflect on how Advent challenges us to hope; yes even hope against hope.

Advent Credo

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—
This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life;

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction—
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers—
This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history—
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.

So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ—the life of the world.

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