A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR
SEPTEMBER 2025
TRINITY U.C.C. VISION STATEMENT:
All will know the love of God through the teaching of Jesus!!
Trinity U.C.C. is called by
God to:
–Share God’s love with our
community
–Serve God’s children
–Bring healing and
wholeness to those in need
–Share the Gospel in
liturgy, music and study
God to:
–Share God’s love with our
community
–Serve God’s children
–Bring healing and
wholeness to those in need
–Share the Gospel in
liturgy, music and study
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13)
(Ephesians 4:11-13)
Catch the Vision,
Share the Joy!!
Dear Friends,
Where did the summer go? I hope your summer was filled with fun, adventure, and relaxation! Even before we have turned the page in our calendars or scrolled to September on our phone’s calendar, we have seen children climbing the steps of the bus and heading off to school! In just a few days, the church building will be filled with excitement as the children return to our preschool.
I am excited about the start of our Christian Education ministry. We had a wonderful VBS in July that helped us learn more about familiar biblical stories and characters. As we prepare for Rally Day and the beginning of a new Sunday School year, I hope we can build on all that we learned during VBS!
The theme that I have chosen for Rally Day is “Growing Together in God’s Love”. It is important for us to come together on a weekly basis for study and worship. The community of faith helps each of us grow in our walk with God. In one of my recent weekly reflections, I shared some words from Rev. Dr. Craig Dykstra, a pastor and professor who died in June. In 1999, Dr. Dykstra wrote the book Growing in the Life of Faith: Education and Christian Practices. His thesis is that the community is necessary for people to grow in their faith. Dykstra wrote:
Faith and the life of faith are communal before they are individual…The deep, almost physical knowledge of the love of God in Jesus Christ that constitutes faith is first of all and above all the whole community’s knowledge. The presence of Jesus Christ is a presence in, to, and through the community of Jesus Christ. The new life in the Spirit, the new seeing, the vocation, the ministry, the suffering, and the perseverance are not simply the sum of individual new lives, visions, and vocations. Rather, all these are first and last the community’s. The new life and all that comes with it are features of the community of Jesus Christ in every epoch, all around the globe, in every kind of cultural situation, including our own.
There are plenty of opportunities for us to grow together in God’s love at Trinity Church. I invite you to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 for the various classes (a list is provided in this newsletter) or sign-up for a book study or attend our grief group sessions. Let’s grow together in God’s love!
Blessings,
Pastor Chris
EOV
