What we do….AND lots of ways you can participate at Trinity!
ACTIVITIES DURING SERVICES
CHOIR – sings at 10:00 AM Sunday service, practices each Sunday following 10:00 service.
ACOLYTES – carry crosses, torches/ elements/flag or banner at 10:00 AM service; may serve at funerals & other functions; ages 8 years old and up.
LAY READERS – parishioners read lessons & psalms at both Sunday services.
CHALICE BEARERS – parishioners serve upon invitation by Trinity Rector.
GREETERS AND USHERS – parishioners greet at10:00 AM service; Ushers serve at funerals & other events as necessary.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY – Fellowship Hall 9:00 AM each Sunday (except for First Sunday Breakfast).
COFFEE HOUR – after 10:00 AM service Fellowship Hall; parishioners sign up to provide drinks & snacks, set/clean up.
FIRST SUNDAY BREAKFAST – first Sunday each month 9:00 AM Fellowship Hall; parishioners cook (beginning @ 7:00 AM), set/clean-up for Coffee Hour. Donations are encouraged.
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY SCHOOL – Sunday after Labor Day-early June during 10:00 service; broken up into 4 terms. Trinity follows curriculum, with basic church teachings & lessons following lectionary cycle. Parishioners serve as Sunday school teachers for Preschool (ages 3-5), Elementary (grades K-2), Intermediate (grades 3-5), Rite 13 (grades 6-8), and J2A (grades 9-12).
2018-09-09 Sunday School Teachers-sitting Elizabeth Cuthbert, Kristen Henson, Melissa Chapman, Co-Leader Anne Belota; standing Julie Study, Christel Devlin, Beth McCook
NURSERY – available for children under 3 during 10:00 service.
SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL – for those too young to sit in church, generally mid-June-late August.
COMMUNITY BIBLE SCHOOL – week in July by Shepherdstown Ministerial Association
ADVENT – Children help our Rector begin the season
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT – Sunday before Christmas by Sunday School groups.
EPIPHANY –
TREASURE KIDS – Christian education preschool program for 2-4 year olds Monday-Thursday; day after Labor Day-Thursday before Memorial Day.
PETERKIN CAMP – summer; Trinity provides at least 1/2 scholarships. www.peterkin.org.
OTHER ACTIVITIES – throughout year & announced ahead of time; for some, Trinity offers to pay expenses.
COMMITTEES/GROUPS
VESTRY – oversees operations & financial status of Trinity.
SPIRITUAL LIFE – plans/provides events, such as Lenten & Fall Series.
OPIOID – explore ways in which Trinity can help the community with this epidemic.
SAFETY (Ad Hoc) – explore ways to ensure the safety of the congregation, Treasure Kids, staff and others who visit Trinity.
PARISH FAMILY – plans/sets up/serves/cleans up meals, such as Seder Dinner & funeral receptions. Parishioners provide dishes.
OUTREACH – reviews & proposes financial donations for various local charities.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS – provides articles for local newspapers.
WELCOME – helps newcomers acclimate & plans newcomer events.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS – maintains Trinity’s buildings & churchyard, raking, painting, etc.
GARDEN – maintains Trinity’s gardens – mulching, planting & weeding.
ALTAR GUILD – set up/take down for services, maintains linens, brass, candles, etc.
BOOK CLUB – Mondays 9:30 to 11:00 AM in Trinity House, read/discuss religious, thought-provoking books.
RETIRED MENS GROUP – 3rd Thursday each month 8:00 AM breakfast & conversation at Bavarian Inn. Community welcome.
SARAH’S TUESDAY AFTERNOON GROUP – This group is named in memory of Sarah Drennen, who put it all together in 2010. Crafters, such as knitters, quilters, rugmakers, needlepointers, etc. meet every Tuesday, working on their own projects and enjoying each others’ company. The meeting is held in the Fellowship Hall from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
MINISTRY TO CANTERBURY NURSING HOME – 2nd Wednesday each month 10:30 AM during school year; parishioners gather with residents in Dining Room for service of old hymns, scripture readings & prayers.
TRINITY THRIFT SHOP – 201 Church St. open Thursdays/Fridays 10:00 AM-4:00 PM & Saturdays 10:00 AM-1:00 PM; staffed by volunteers. Items sold include clothing, jewelry, purses, books, movies, house wares, & holiday items donated by community. ; collects used eye glasses for Lion’s Club. Donated items can be left on back porch anytime. Tax receipts available during business hours. Proceeds donated to local charities. Due to space limitations and health/safety reasons, we cannot accept furniture/TVs/computers/toys.
EMERGENCY PRAYER CHAIN – parishioners who commit themselves to pray for 48 hours for people having emergency surgery/are involved in major accidents, etc.
ANNUAL SEASONAL EVENTS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Epiphany (Jan 6) – Feast of Epiphany held on nearest Sunday
HOSPICE – distributes cookies close to Valentine’s Day to thank workers. Parishioners bake many dozen.
FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER – Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, held by Trinity’s Youth; nominal cost.
ASH WEDNESDAY – services 8:00 AM, 11:00AM, 7:30 PM
LENT – begins Ash Wednesday. Lenten Series dinners/discussions Sunday evenings.
PALM Sunday – week before Easter
SEDER DINNER – Maundy Thursday evening before Easter, similar to Last Supper; nominal cost & sign-up sheets for food preparation.
MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE – 8:00 PM
EASTER VIGIL – begins after Maundy Thursday service 9:00 PM – noon Good Friday; parishioners sit 1/2 hour in the Church.
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE – noon.
BAPTISMS can be held Easter Eve.
EASTER SERVICES – Easter morning; Easter Egg Hunt for children after 10:00 service.
FLOWERING THE CROSS – at Easter services; flowers welcome from gardens!
APRIL/MAY/JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
Pentacost – 7 weeks after Easter – Get your Red on! Kids, ask our Rector questions! Usually last day of Sunday School for the school year. Enjoy a celebration!
WOMEN’S CONFERENCE – in Spring or Summer; West Virginia Diocese women join together in worship, fellowship, service & community; www.wvdiocese.org/pages/aa-women.html.
MASS ON THE GRASS & BLESSING OF PETS – in Churchyard during Summer or early Fall at Sunday service; picnic afterwards, dishes & clean up by parishioners.
BOOK BAG PROJECT – in July, in conjunction with Jefferson County Ministries; provide book bags & supplies for children in need.
FALL SERIES – pot luck dinner/spiritual discussion series.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
THANKSGIVING SERVICES – held by Shepherdstown Ministerial Association (Sunday before); Trinity on Thanksgiving 11:00 AM.
LIVING NATIVITY – presentations in afternoons & evenings last Saturday of November & first Saturday of December in Churchyard. Volunteers portray Joseph & Mary, angels, Wise Men & shepherds [Jesus is a doll]. Group participates in Shepherdstown Christmas Parade.
COOKIE WALK – Fellowship Hall in conjunction with Shepherdstown Parade. Parishioners make 100 dozen cookies for sale; activities for children; vendors.
CHRISTMAS DECORATING OF CHURCH – 2 days before Christmas parishioners decorate church with live greens & poinsettias, set up luminaries for the 11:00 PM Christmas Eve service (“UNDECORATING” after Epiphany).
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES –5:30 PM, 11:00 PM.
CHRISTMAS EVE music and bell concert led by the Choir 10:30 PM.
CHRISTMAS MORNING SERVICE 11:00 AM.
CARING CUPBOARD – local charity in which Trinity & other Shepherdstown churches participate; each Thursday in Dec, volunteers pack food bags for Shepherdstown Elementary & Middle schools/deliver them to the schools.
…and on Dec 26, 2018 a new event was added by Shepherdstown – Tour of Historic Churches. We participated, with our very own Mark Hollis providing guests with history of Trinity …
DONATIONS/FUNDRAISING
Pledge Cards – generally mailed to members in early Fall for next calendar year.
Altar & Organ Flowers – purchased with donations from parishioners, usually made in honor or memory of person or occasion. The flower calendar is by the front door in the Narthex. The cost is $40.
Martin’s, Food Lion, Home Depot and Sheetz gift cards – available for sale at Sunday coffee hours & during office hours; no service fee; cash or personal checks accepted. Trinity earns 5% of the total sales – earnings defray heating/air conditioning costs in Fellowship Hall.
Box Tops for Education – collected & sent to Boy’s Home.
Soda can tabs -collected & sent to Ronald McDonald House.