Kids Summer Camps, VBS, & Activities – Sign up today!

Vacation Bible School is July 13-16

www.trinitybirmingham.com/kids/sumer-programs

Register Now for Summer!

Get your Advent Chain Calendar!

We are busy people, and our calendars get even more crowded during the Holidays. This Advent, we would like to offer you an easy but meaningful way to build excitement in your home for the arrival of the Christ child. Better yet, we want to help you connect your faith practice at home with the things we will experience during worship.

This Advent we hope you will pick up one of the little brown bags in the Narthex, outside the Haven, the Ark or in the Elementary Hallway.  Inside you will find links for a garland or paper chain for your household to build over the coming days. Add a ring each day. Look up the Bible passage and learn more about the name of Jesus being shared.

Imagine how that name perfectly describes whom the Christ child will be.  Use that name of Jesus as you pray as a family that day.  It is a simple reminder that we are counting the days until a baby’s birth that will change the world.  Join us on this journey of anticipation and hope this Advent.

Pick Up Yours in the Narthexes and The Ark!

New Year, New Energy! Four great ideas to bring new energy to your group!

1.       Try a “Sabbath moment” Looking for a stand alone session? Ask a minister or your sunday school class leader to lead a “sabbath” where you just pray for one another. A lot of times our Bible discussions go too long and our pray times become too short as a result. Taking one or two sessions just to pray for members one at a time, listening to God for them, blessing them and lifting their lives and their needs to God. You can go one by one around the room hearing and lifting up prayers. There is no hurry and when you are done and that person is thoroughly encouraged, you move to the next person. You can also break off into groups of 3 or 4 and pray for each other in smaller groups.  You can tell guests that they can participate or pass, but most likely you won’t have a small group member or guest pass up this opportunity for personal prayer and blessings.

2.      Reach out. Do something as a group to show Jesus’ love to others. Go to a nursing home. Help at a homeless shelter. Or serve through one of the outreach ministries Trinity is involved with. Probably there are people in your group with a passion for helping a certain group of people or ministry. Maybe you could join them in an outreach that corresponds to their heart and calling. Contact Brittany Arias or Nathan Carden for more information and help on coordinating an outreach event for your group!

3.       Invite a guest speaker like someone on staff over a certain area of Trinity, Pastor RG Lyons from Community Church Without Walls in the West End, Al and Passion Lewis, or Melissa Self Patrick from Urban Ministry.

4.       Throw a sunday school group party and invite new people to visit. Just turn one of your regular Sunday Mornings into a brunch with games. You can also turn another night during the week into a party. Do a game night or picnic, or go bowling, mini-golfing or to a ball game together. One thing to keep in mind is that besides building relationships between members, parties can provide a wonderful opportunity for outreach. Make a list of friends, new church members or visitors, neighbors, co-workers and family that you’d like in your group – then invite them.

JOY Thanksgiving Week

FEEDING

 

• Deliver an uncooked Turkey to Firehouse Shelter (1501 3^rd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203) to be cooked and served on Thanksgiving.
• Serve a meal at Firehouse Shelter  (Nov. 30 at 4PM)

• Serve a Thanksgiving meal at Urban ministry (6 adults are needed Wednesday, 11/27 from 11:30-1:30)
• Pay for a Thanksgiving meal for as little as $1.95 (Give online here).

GIFTING

 

• Bake yummy treats, bag them, and deliver to the church so that our pastors can deliver them to Homebound Trinity members as well as Trinity members in the hospital. Please deliver treats in bags to Trinity UMC front office.
• Donate used toys, linens, and furniture to the Community Furniture Bank (tax donation).
• Talk to your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family and see if they have a used laptop to donate to the Community Church Without Walls (tax donation) for some individuals in pursuit of higher education. They are in need of 12 laptops.
• Pick up on Sunday (Welcome Center in the main Narthex & Guest Desk in Wesley Hall) a “JOY tag sheet” and decorate it. Return by Dec. 8. These tags will be handed out with Angel Tree gifts bringing joy to the families receiving gifts.
• Wrap presents at Brookwood Mall for Family Promise of Birmingham. Trinity’s day is December 7^th 9AM-9PM, outside of Macy’s contact Jamie Fitzwater at 441-4062 if interested.

JOY (Joyfully Offering Yourself) in Serving

What is JOY in Serving?

JOY (Joyfully Offering Yourself) in Serving is Trinity’s holiday mission program. JOY is a season of giving and serving and many of the opportunities available connect directly to one of Trinity’s Mission Ministries that you can continue to serve with throughout the year. The JOY opportunities below prived entry-level serving opportunities through our ministry partners. We encourage you to find one that best suites you, your family, and your schedule and pray about continuing to serve these ministries year-round.

FEEDING

• Sign up to serve food for one of the Thanksgiving meals that will be served at Jimmie Hale Mission to those in the community  (Thanksgiving Eve, 5PM, Thanksgiving Day 10AM, 12PM, and 5PM).
• Pay for a Thanksgiving meal for as little as $1.95 (Give online here).
• Serve a meal at Firehouse Shelter  (Nov. 30 at 4PM and Nov. 29 at 11:30 AM).
• Sweet Potato Crop Drop THIS Saturday, November 16th starting at 9AM. (This is part of the Community Food Bank’s Produce in Pantries program distributing over 430,000 lbs of nutritious produce across central Alabama in 2013).

GIFTING

• Bake yummy treats for Homebound Trinity members and Trinity members in the hospital.
• Choose a tag off the Angel tree and shop for Christmas gifts for children. This year all of our families are from the West End where we are involved with Urban Kids, Community Church Without Walls, and the Community Garden.
• Donate used toys, linens, furniture to the Community Furniture Bank (tax donation).
• Talk to your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family and see if they have an used laptop to donate to the Community Church Without Walls (tax donation) for some individuals in pursuit of higher education. They are in need of  12 laptops.

 

To volunteer at one or all of these ministries and to learn more information about these great opportunities to serve, contact Brittany Arias at barias@trinitybirmingham.com

*Check back for additional serving and giving opportunities to be posted each week throughout the JOY season.

Intro to Methodism Class Continues

Sundays, September 16, 23 & 30 – Small Dining Room

Led by Senior Pastor, Dr. Andy Wolfe, this study is for anyone interested in learning more about Methodism. You will learn more about Methodist history, theology, and practice. Questions like ‘Who is John Wesley?’, ‘What do Methodists believe?’, and ‘How is Methodism different from other denominations?’ will be addressed.

You may attend one or all classes. Sept. 16, 23 & 30 on Sundays, 10 AM in the Small Dining Room.

Contact Karen Smith, ksmith@trinitybirmingham.com for more information.

ALPHA Begins Sept. 13!

ALPHA is an opportunity to explore Christianity in a relaxed, friendly setting. Trinity will begin it’s 12th year offering this course…

ALPHA meets once per week for 10 weeks, and includes a one-day retreat. Enjoy great food, laughter and learning in a fun and friendly atmosphere. People attend from all backgrounds, religions, and viewpoints. Some people want to get beyond religion and find a relationship with God that really changes life. Others come for the close, long-lasting friendships that are built during the Alpha course. Begins Tuesday, September 13th, dinner and childcare provided (must make reservation).

Contact Karen Smith (879-1737) for more details.

“Alpha is a non-pressured, and fun course, and it showed me how Christianity can be relevant and empowering to our lives.”

Explore ALPHA at www.alphausa.org

Summer study available!

Trinity is now taking registrations for the upcoming study using Max Lucado’s book, Fearless. To read more or to register, click here. The registration deadline is May 30.

Trinity Men! Don’t Miss Mike Kolen this Thursday night!

You are invited…Thursday, February 4 • 6:30 PM

Trinity Men will hold their kickoff event for the Spring series on Thursday evening, February 4. The night will include a catered dinner by The Fish Market (fish and chicken entree options) and the featured speaker is Mike Kolen “Captain Crunch” of Auburn Tiger and Miami Dolphin fame. Tickets are on sale now and are available in the church office. 879-1737.

Questions? Contact Tim Tatum at 879-1737 or email ttatum@trinity-umc.org.