Bravery

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." - David Hackworth

Liberal "Christianity"

"I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian." - Atheist Christopher Hitchens on liberal Christians

Culture

"A culture is perennially in need of renewal. A culture does not survive and prosper merely by being taken for granted; active defense is always required, and imaginative growth, too." - Russell Kirk

Desire

"To desire the end is to desire the means to that end. If you are unwilling to embrace all actions required to achieve it, you never really wanted it at all." - SM Stirling

Class

“Yeah, black velvet is classy – until somebody paints Elvis on it.”

New Year's Resolution

“My New Year’s Resolution is gonna be to stop dusting and use the coffee table as a message board.” - Anonymous

Long Day?

And this just in, from our 'and you thought your day was long' dept.:

Son: "Mom, are there more than 44 hours in a day?"

Mom, taking full(?) advantage of a teachable moment: "Is 44 more than 27?"

Patience

"Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other, and have the courage to accept each other as we are. Do not be surprised or become preoccupied at each other's failures—rather, see and find in each other the good, for each of us is created in the image of God." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Democracy

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." - Alexis de Tocqueville

Dorm Life

“In the bathroom of a girls’ dorm at Olivet Nazarine University, a church-sponsored college in Illinois, there were three totally enclosed toilets, plus one with no privacy door. The residents awoke one morning to find them labeled I John, II John, III John and Revelation.” - Ruth Rupnow

Valentine's Day

“I don’t know why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.” - Paul McGinty

Imperfection

“Your ‘future dream wedding day’ will be less than perfect because you, your groom and life are less than perfect. The more you ask life to grace you with improbable things (such as, perfection in a catered event involving alcohol and family members), the more gleefully life giggles when it barfs on your dress.” - Advice columnist Carolyn Hax

Hell

“I live for myself and I answer to nobody.” – Steve McQueen

Idolatry

"You can't understand the human race without understanding its passion to have gods." - David Marr

Love

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." - St. Augustine

Stupidity

"Life is hard, It's even harder if you are stupid." - John Wayne

Melancholy

Coyote's song at midnight. Says something for the world. The world wants said. - Wendell Berry, A Timbered Choir

Perseverance

The tree is made manifest by its fruit; so those that profess themselves to be Christian shall be recognized by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end. - St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Ephesians

Eucharist

...breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying. - St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Ephesians

Courage

Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me; only let me attain to Jesus Christ. - St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Romans

CS Lewis On Avoiding God

C. S. Lewis, on avoiding God, from "The Seeing Eye" in Christian Reflections: "Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) on your own grievances. Keep the radio on. Live in a crowd. Use plenty of sedation. If you must read books, select them very carefully. But you’d be safer to stick to the papers. You’ll find the advertisements helpful; especially those with a sexy or a snobbish appeal."

Summer Fun: Wednesday Beach / Game Nights

Beach / Game Night is an informal time of fellowship that includes a picnic, cookout, games, and relaxation.

We meet just 'upstream' of the South Beach pavilion.

Everyone brings their own picnic foods, and the coals for the cookout are ready just after 5pm for those who want to grill.

If you have a favorite game, you can bring that too. Frisbees, Footballs, and a deck of cards are all popular. Right now "Corn Hole" is one of our favorites (it's kinda like horseshoes), while others enjoy just sitting and visiting.

Later in the Summer, once the water has warmed up, we will walk down to the beach.

If the weather is poor (wet, windy, etc.) we have a few indoor locations at our disposal. On Wedensdays, should we need an alternate site, Fr. Andrew will send out an email about the location, so if the weather is questionable, check your email just to be safe.

Hope to see you there!

Sunday Nights in March

During the Sunday Nights of March, Holy Trinity will be hosting a Contemporary Worship experience, beginning at 6pm, called "Grow." Each night we will be joined by musicians from around the community and be led in praise, worship, and prayer.

Each week will have a different theme as we come to know God as a healer, provider, sustainer, redeemer, and savior.

If you have been looking for a relaxed, but passionate worship environment, or are just curious about God, this is the place!

Warm Your Heart Concert

On February 22nd, we have the opportunity to worship with other local churches, and raise money for those needing heat, all at the same time! The Holy Trinity Praise Band is joining with bands from other churches in South Haven to put on a unique worship experience at The Foundry Hall, at 7pm, Sunday February 22nd. The cost of the concert is $5 per adult, and all proceeds will go to We Care's heating assistance fund.

Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, we will be showing the movie "Fireproof" at Listiak Auditorium @ 7pm.

There will be a reception with refreshments (Cookies, Chocolates, etc.) beginning at 6:30pm.

Seating will be on a first come first serve basis. (Listiak seats 500 so there should be ample space.) I am also happy to announce that the Church of the Nazarene will be joining us in this project.

In the News: On the Separation of Church and State

Hello Friends,

I am writing to address a matter that has made the front pages of the local papers this week, and one that as Christians we need to be aware of. One of our partners in ministry here in South Haven, Mike Dubbink, the youth minister from Hope Reformed Church, has been accused of breaching the wall dividing the church and the state. More specifically, the ACLU has threatened the South Haven Public Schools, claiming that by allowing Mike to be present during the lunch hour at the Middle School and High School it has created conflicts that violate the First Amendment. For those unfamiliar with the situation, you can read more about it here:

www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/01/south_haven_schools_dispute_pr_1.html

First, let me say that the accusations made by the ACLU are wrong on two accounts:

1) The ACLU didn't get their facts straight.

2) There is no "constitutional separation of church and state."

If that last line surprised you, then you are not alone. The so called "constitutional separation of Church and State" is an urban legend, but it is one that many Americans take as a fact.

As Americans we are bound together by the Constitution. As Christians, we are called to engage God and His world with our hearts and our minds. As a pastor I want you to be informed about these issues, so that you can intelligently share and defend your faith in the public square; whether that happens to be at work, at play, or the coffee shop in between.

Understanding the appropriate place of religion in the public square is no idle matter. It actually effects our congregation quite directly. Not only would activists such as the ACLU seek to keep people like Mike from sharing lunch with our teens, in other parts of the country these groups have gone so far as to attempt to keep churches from renting space from the schools for church-related activities.

Recently I had an experience that reminded me of the prevalence of misunderstanding about the Constitution. It was a kind of humorous event, even at the time, and illustrates the breadth of the problem.

A few weeks ago I was cleaning up after our Sunday service and was the last one out of the building. With boxes stacked over my head, I made my way out to my car, and upon putting down the load was startled to see a SH police officer in front of me, with his hand on his gun. Suspecting me of trespassing or burglary he asked a few questions and made a few phone calls.

Fortunately, my story checked out. (It probably helped that I was in my collar, carrying a nativity set, and standing next to the most unlikely of get-away cars.) It was all a bit surreal at the time, but one of the last things that the officer said, surprised me: "How is this not a violation of the separation of church and state?"

Due to the cold North wind and the awkwardness of the situation in general, it didn't seem to me the time to get into constitutional law, so I simply replied, "We pay rent just like anybody else."

That answer was true, and appropriate given the circumstances, but Officer, if you are reading this, here is a more complete answer:

If you pick up a copy of the Constitution you will not find the words "a wall of separation between the church and state," nor will you find anything expressing that sentiment. So where do those words come from? The personal reflections of Thomas Jefferson (thus making them interesting, but far from constitutional).

What the First Amendment of the Constitution actually says is this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

At the time of the writing of the Constitution, the founding fathers were aware of the differing relationships around the world between the church and the state. Most notably they were intimately aware of the stances taken by the two superpowers of their day: Britain and France.

Britain chose to make Anglicanism the official state religion. Anglican churches were funded by the state monarchy, Anglican clergy were involved at all levels of government, and the ministers of other denominations were ostracized and sometimes persecuted.

The French, through their own revolution, took the exact opposite tack. By removing all religious expression from the offices of the state, France became one of the first purely secular governments.

The founding fathers, fully aware of these two perspectives, picked a different path altogether. The US Constitution ensures that no single denomination or religion would be 'established.' (For instance, Americans could never declare Anglicans, or Baptists, or Methodists to be the "nation's church.") However, the founding fathers fully expected that religious expression would be a part of the offices of the state. This was made clear in the fact that the first congress began its legislative day with prayer and even voted to apportion federal dollars to establish Christian missions in the Indian lands. If the founding fathers had meant for there to be a firewall between the church and state, then they never would have carried out the above actions, but of course, the founding fathers and the constitution never supported such a firewall.

Jefferson's idea of a 'wall of separation' was defeated, and it never became a part of the Constitution. Jefferson moved on to other matters, however, others picked up the banner and have continued to fight that old battle even up to the present day.

The ACLU is one such group and it is ideologically motivated to try to create in the United States a secularist model not unlike French society. Of course all of this is extremely hard to do given the clear intent of the founding fathers, but the ACLU still attempts to make ground through the intimidation of lawsuits, the mischaracterization of history, the support of a few activist judges, and the ignorance of the average citizen.

Sadly in other parts of our country, city governments, school boards, and churches have given in to these tactics and the freedoms provided by the first amendment have been subverted; all the more reason for you and I to be both vigilant and articulate in our defense of the Constitution.

So how does this effect life in South Haven? At this point, it appears that the school board and administrators have held their ground despite the threats and the ACLU-created media frenzy. So as of this writing, it appears that there isn't anything in jeopardy here in South Haven….yet. What tomorrow holds is a different matter, which is why your awareness does matter. Culture's change slowly and quietly, and our conversations over coffee or the water cooler are probably more important than we know.


In Christ,

Fr. Andrew+

Christmas Eve Service

Join us for an "Acoustic Christmas Eve Service", December 24th @ 7pm in the Baseline Middle School Cafetorium. Guitarist Charlie Fritsche and vocalist Star Fritsche will lead in the singing of the traditional Christmas carols. A special procession for the children will begin the service, and each child will have the opportunity to place a figure around the manger. Come celebrate the coming of Christ!

Lessons and Carols Service

Holy Trinity Anglican Church will hold a special Lessons & Carols Service this Sunday, 10am, @ Baseline Middle School. Come hear the stories that lead us to Christmas, and share in the carols that prepare the way. Singing will be accompanied by pianist Sharon Fanger, and musician Andru Bemis.

History in the Making

A group froim Holy Trinity will be traveling to this event on December 3rd. If you would like to join the carpool, you can contact Fr. Andrew for more details. One group will be leaving in time for the 2pm reception (Central Time), and the other group will be leaving after work for the 7:30pm worship service. So what is it? The press release is below:

WHEATON, IL, Nov. 17-Leaders of the Common Cause Partnership, a federation of more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in North America, will release to the public on the evening of Dec. 3 the draft constitution of an emerging Anglican Church in North America, formally subscribe to the Jerusalem Declaration of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and affirm the GAFCON Statement on the Global Anglican Future at an evening worship celebration in suburban Chicago.

This historic event comes in the wake of GAFCON held in Israel last June with leaders from more than one-half of the world's 77 million Anglicans. At the close of that gathering, Anglican leaders released the Jerusalem Declaration and the GAFCON Statement on the Global Anglican Future, which outlined their Christian beliefs and goals to reform, heal and revitalize the Anglican Communion worldwide.

"One conclusion of the Global Anglican Future Conference held in Jerusalem last June was that the time for the recognition of a new Anglican body in North America had arrived," observed Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, moderator of Common Cause Partnership. "The public release of our draft constitution is an important concrete step toward the goal of a biblical, missionary and united Anglican Church in North America."

Provinces, dioceses and parishes around the world have been making formal decisions to support the Jerusalem Declaration and the GAFCON Statement on the Global Anglican Future since its release this summer. Leading bishops and representatives of the North American Common Cause Partnership will officially subscribe to the Declaration and affirm the Statement at the public worship service at Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton, IL at 7:30 p.m. CST on December 3. All Anglicans in attendance will also be given an opportunity to individually subscribe to the Declaration and affirm the Statement.

"We enthusiastically issue a public invitation to all fellow Christians in hopes that they will witness, participate in and celebrate our unity and common mission," Bishop Duncan added.

Prior to the evening service, at 2 p.m. CST earlier on Dec. 3, a reception will be held at the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton to give thanks and learn about the mission of Christ Awakening. Rooted among Anglicans, Christ Awakenings are quickly spreading to the larger Christian community. The first Christ Awakening was held in September 2007 in Chicago. Since then, the grassroots movement of Christ Awakenings has held events in Vancouver, Ohio and New England to call Christians to work together, in unity, partnering for mission worldwide. After the reception, a media briefing with Common Cause leaders will follow at 5:30 p.m. CST, addressing the significance of the historic worship celebration that evening.

The Common Cause Partnership is a federation of Anglican Christians that links together eight Anglican jurisdictions and organizations in North America, including the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Coalition in Canada, the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the Anglican Network in Canada, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, Forward in Faith North America, the Reformed Episcopal Church, and the bishops and congregations linked with Kenya, Uganda, and South America's Southern Cone. Together they represent more than 100,000 Anglican Christians worshiping each Sunday in the United States and Canada.

Parish Gathering Sunday November 23rd

The Vestry and Clergy of Holy Trinity Anglican Church invite you to an informational meeting following the Sunday service, November 23rd.

Over the last year your leaders have been spending time in prayer in discernment as we seek to follow God's direction for us as a church. We are excited about where God is leading us and want to share with you a part of the vision that God is giving us so that you can be involved in both prayer and ministry as we move into the coming year.

Plan to stay for the hour following worship on Sunday morning.

A brunch will be provided by the youth. Donations will be most welcome and all proceeds will go to their Pilgrimage Fund.

Bishop's Visit & One Year Anniversary!

Save the dates of November 5th & 6th!

Bishop Guernsey will be making his visit to the parish on these days, and you will have the opportunity to spend some time with he and his wife Meg.

Here's the schedule:

November 5th: Bishop Guernsey will be visiting the Men's Group on Wednesday morning, and the Bishop and Meg will both be visiting the Women's Group Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday evening, beginning at 6pm, we will meet at Baseline Middle School for Evening Prayer and a time of teaching by the Bishop, followed by dessert, coffee, and a Q & A session. For those who haven't yet been able to meet the Bishop, this is a perfect opportunity to get to know him and understand a little more about Christianity in general and Anglicanism in particular.

If you are willing to make a dessert for this event, or help setup/tear down, we could use some volunteers for this evening. Contact Fr. Andrew if you are available to help.

November 6th: Our one year anniversary celebration is Thursday evening between 6pm and 9pm at Baseline Middle School. This is a great opporunity to invite your friends for a relaxed evening of games, music, and food. We will serve chili and cornbread, have games for kids, and music for everyone. The bluegrass/folk group, Smalltown Heroes, from West Lafayette, Indiana will be performing as the main act, and our own Holy Trinity Praise Band will be opening for them. Drop in for 15 minutes or spend the whole evening, but be sure not to miss it.

If you would like to provide Chili, cornbread, or a drink you can sign up over the next few Sundays (sign up sheets are in the back of the church) or you can contact Fr. Andrew. We could also use some help setting up and tearing down.

Men's Retreat

Holy Trinity is sponsoring a Men's Retreat October 9th throuth 12th at Pine Lake Villa in Wellston, Michigan. Feel free to invite your friends and come for all 4 days, or one or two. Whatever you can do...it's all good.

Among the activities there will be: Fishing, Golfing, Praying, Hiking, Eating, Sleeping, Canoeing, Hunting, Staring at a Campfire, and whatever other manly things you feel like doing...even if one of those things is nothing at all!

To RSVP, contact Fr. Andrew at 269-214-2979.

The Global Anglican Future Conference

Our bishops and Archbishop recently met in Jerusalem with 1200 Anglican leaders from around the world. Out of that gathering there came an encouraging and historic statement that will change the face of our denomination for years to come. The Global Anglican Future Statement can be found here.

The media coverage surrounding the conference has been largely inaccurate, but this remarkable little article appeared in the Guardian (a British newspaper) and I highly recommend it.

If you have questions about the Global Anglican Future Statement, feel free to post a comment. I will gladly answer your questions to the best of my ability.

Tuesday Beach/Game Nights

Tuesday’s during the summer is Holy Trinity Beach / Game Night. Each Tuesday you have a standing invitation to gather at the beach & softball field between 6 & 9 for an evening of fun and fellowship. Here’s how it will work:

Those who are interested in softball can play in the church softball league game at either 6, 7:30, or 9 (depending on the week)*.

We will all be together at the beach before or after the game for fun and fellowship.

On days that rain, we will gather together to play board/card games.

Come for the whole time, or come for a few minutes, but come when you can!

*We will be playing together with our friends at Hope Reformed. This is a co-ed, just-for-fun-league, where everyone plays and there is no pressure. To be eligible, you must be at least 16 years of age and registered.

Holy Trinity Campout

I know it seems early, but it really is time to plan for our church campout!

Camping dates are set for Friday, July 18-Sunday, July 20. We will again camp at the Covert Township Park located on 32nd Avenue, off Blue Star Highway, south of town. It is a cozy, shady campground with 62 campsites on 50 acres with two playgrounds and a 5 minute walk to Lake Michigan. Check out their website at http://www.covertpark.com/.

The rate is $29 a night, for a total of $58. There is a $3 a night charge for pets. You are allowed 2 cars that fit on your site without charge. Cancellation of a reservation within 2 weeks of July 18 will cost you $29, but if you cancel earlier there is no charge.

For those who have not camped with us before here is a little overview. Each family has their site. One RV or two tents are allowed on a site, with a maximum of 6 people per site. Some of us tent camp and some of us have recreational vehicles. We have a cook out together Saturday night and a pancake breakfast together Sunday morning and we are on our own for the other meals. Check in on Friday is between 3 and 10 pm with most people coming as they can after work. We always help each other set up. Saturday morning and afternoon we like to go to the beach to find lake treasures and swim as a group. We all look forward to Ron Darling’s extreme games in the late afternoon. Then we have our potluck cook out and campfire time. Sunday morning we start with our joint pancake breakfast followed by a Eucharist service in the park. Check out time is 1 pm. All parishioners are welcome!

PLEASE RSVP WITH KATHY SICARD FOR A SITE BY SUNDAY, APRIL 13! 637-7405

Easter & Holy Week

Easter Sunday & Holy Week

Easter
Join us for a Sunday of inspiration and
Joy!

•Procession of the Cross with the Easter Flowers
•Music by Star and Charlie Fritsche & the Trinity Praise Band
•A special children’s message

10am @ Baseline Middle School

Holy Week @ Baseline

"The New Commandment:To Love as God Loves"

Maundy Thursday (3/20) @ 8pm

Stations of the Cross

Good Friday (3/21) @ 8pm

Holy Trinity's Kids Share God's Love

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

The children of the Worship Center have been collecting an offering each week (it now totals $44) and recently decided it should go to the American Cancer Society in the name of Jesus Christ. They are learning what it means to practice stewardship, the love of God, and the love of our neighbors.

The Alpha Program

What is Alpha?
Over 8 million people worldwide have now attended an Alpha course. It is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life, running in tens of thousands of churches of all denominations, and at universities, in prisons and on military bases across the world.

At an Alpha course people explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a day or weekend away.

How Will the Alpha Course be Run at Holy Trinity?
We will be holding the course in people’s homes starting the second week of February and running through Easter. Each home group will meet weekly for an hour and a half of fellowship, Bible study, and prayer. A typical evening will begin with dessert, and a 20 minute video focusing on one aspect of the Christian faith. Following the video is time for reflection and discussion as a group, and then the evening will conclude with a short service of Compline.
These home groups will be an important part of our church’s common life and Lenten preparation this year. This is also a perfect opportunity to invite friends who are interested in exploring faith in a more low key atmosphere. A complete list of days and times when the course will be offered will be presented at the Parish Gathering.

You can learn more by going to www.alphana.org/

Shrove Sunday Party

The Shrove Sunday Party will be held at Baseline Middle School following the Sunday service on February 3rd. The original location had a conflict that day. We will bring in pizza, pop, and salad and have board games and video games set up (we'll try to use the big screen if we can). Children bring a gift to give ($5 maximum), and adults bring a "white elephant gift" to exchange ("white elephant gifts" cannot be bought, must come from your home, and are preferably tacky in an endearing sort of way.) All are welcome!

Parish Gathering & Potluck Brunch

This Sunday we will be coming together as a parish to celebrate God's providence, and make plans for the future. Immediately following the service we will set up tables and have a time of food and fellowship. Please bring a dish to pass and plan to join us for lunch. This is an event you will not want to miss. We hope that all can attend!

Newsletter for the Week of January 20th

You can find out the latest news from Holy Trinity by clicking here.

New Parish Calendar

This News & Event's page now has a link to the Parish Calendar along the right hand side of this web page. You can click on the link to see the Calendar and get up to date information about Holy Trinity's services and events. If you have a church event that you would like to see added you can email Fr. Andrew (frandrewgross@gmail.com) with the details.

Newsletter for the week of January 13th, 2008

You can view the latest newsletter by clicking here.

The Latest Newsletter - January 6th

You can view the latest newsletter by clicking here.

Does God Exist? A Debate Between Two Brothers

The Hitchens brothers (Christopher is on the left, Peter on the right) span a theological divide: Christopher is an avowed atheist. Peter is a Christian (and Anglican). Christopher has written a book attacking religious belief entitled "God is Not Great."

Each of us probably know folks who would profess to be atheists. How do we, as Christians, respond in a way that provides a faithful witness to God's truth? Peter Hitchens has clearly given this much thought and has made a response that can be read here. If you'd like to join the discussion on this topic, feel free to comment on this post.

Anglicans in America

The Common Cause Partnership is the umbrella under which all the Anglican churches in the United States are forming. The Archbishop of Uganda made it clear that his oversight of American churches is 'an ecclesial refugee ministry'; a temporary provision until the Anglican Churches in the United States are ready to stand on their own as a seperate province. The Common Cause Partnership is the beginning of this province. It includes Anglican Churches in the United States that are currently overseen by Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South America, and Southeast Asia. It also will include those diocese currently in the Episcopal Church that are in the process of leaving.

The Partnership has a new website that provides the opportunity for you to give feedback to the leadership, and to learn more about Anglican theology. You can go to the website by clicking here.

A Christmas Letter from Archbishop Orombi

Archbishop Orombi has sent a Christmas letter to all the Anglican churches overseas. Take a moment to read it here.

The Middle Schoolers Have a New Name

Almost unanimously, we have chosen to become the “Trinity Transformers”! We send many thanks to Stephanie for the suggestion and the biblical references supporting it. Those bible verses were very convincing and when Dawn told us there is a Mr. Potato Head Transformer we could use as a mascot, well that clinched it! (I asked what the Mr. Potato Head Transformer transformed into and was told, “A potato, of course”!) Hopefully we Trinity Transformers will be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ!Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful suggestions!

Kathy

A New Web Page

Our Website has a new page that provides links to sermons (by Fr. Andrew and Bishop Guernsey) and other resources (such as an interview with Archbishop Orombi). The new page is cleverly named "Sermons and Resources" and you can get to it by clicking here. Enjoy!

Newsletter for December 9th

The Newsletter/Bulletin for Sunday December 9th can be found by clicking here.

Set Up Sunday Morning at 8:30

Again, this week we are going to set up for worship on Sunday at 8:30 am NOT Saturday night. This will most likely become the norm in the future as we're becoming familiar with the new space.

Bishop John Guernsey

This week Bishop John Guernsey and the Rev. Meg Guernsey (his wife) will be visiting Holy Trinity for the first time! Come join us for two nights of teaching and fellowship this Monday and Tuesday evening between 6 and 8pm at Hope Reformed Church. (Our friends at Hope have been very supportive over the last months, and we are grateful for their eagerness to help us find space in which to meet this week.)

These gatherings will be a perfect time to grow, and learn more about the work of the Holy Spirit that is taking place through the Anglican Church. Bishop Guernsey will lead two sessions on the topic of prayer, and will be available to answer your questions about prayer, or Anglicanism, or whatever else might be on your mind. I think that you will find our time together most encouraging, and at the close of Tuesday night’s service we will have the opportunity to renew our baptismal vows as we continue in this new work.

Please make an effort to attend, even if only for a part of the time, so that you can gain a greater understanding of the larger Church of which we are a part. For those coming straight from work (or school), there will be soup provided, as well as refreshments (coffee & cookies).

What an adventure! Learning God's Priorities.

What an intense trip this 40 Days of Personal Revival has been. Thank you Anne Graham Lotz for the amazing structure and your book, I Saw the Lord, which helped to inspire it. In a way, I feel as though we are just on the periphery looking in on the life in Christ that God has for us at Holy Trinity. The more I delve into the Scriptures, experience the depth of my sin and begin to glimpse our awesome God, the more I realize how little I have truly seen. But, I realize now...I needed to leave the Episcopal Church where the Spirit was easily quenched before I/we together could truly grow.

God is calling us as a people to come back to His heart and back to the basics. He is calling us to let Him redesign our church with His priorities.
These are the priorities we keep coming back to:

• Worship is the work of the people. It is both adoration as well as the offering of ourselves to God and within it we begin to experience God's heart. "He inhabits the praises of His people." Worship is deserving work and in order to do it well, we need to prepare throughout the week in prayer and Scripture. When we worship with our whole selves, we are not disappointed! He promises to come in all His fullness.
• The Primacy of Scripture - Scripture is not just a guideline for our lives but the true Word of Christ. Through it the Spirit speaks to the churches and will guide our mission.
• The Importance of Prayer - For some reason God desires to partner with us in prayer and uses our prayer to bring "His Kingdom Come" on earth as it is in heaven. We can no longer live as though prayer is optional. Prayer is both conversation as well as participation with the Ruler of the Universe.
• Stewardship of our Lives. Stewardship is the opposite of greed. King David refused to sacrifice to God with bulls that had been given to him. "I will not give to God that which has cost me nothing." Wow. I feel convicted. Stewardship is worshipping with our lives, worshipping with sincerity.
• The Filling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the breath in our dry bones, the power in our lives and the grace to desire more...more of all of life in God. Our participation in the life of God begins with our acknowledging our inability to even desire to be changed or to come into contact with a Holy God. When we admit our limitations and ask for each step of our lives to be in step with God, the Spirit bestows desire as well as strength for the journey.
• Because of the filling of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts with continue to arise within the body at Holy Trinity. Prophets, healers, teachers and more! Holy Trinity will be the place where unbelievers begin to experience the power of God and hunger for more.

God has so much in store for us...and the adventure has just begun! I can't wait for tomorrow, let alone Sunday!

Mother Summer

An Answer to Prayer

We have been praying that God would bring us together with musicians who have both a love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the skills to lead worship. We are very happy to announce that beginning November 18th Star and Charlie Fritsche will be helping to lead worship at Holy Trinity! Continue to pray for God's blessing as we begin this exciting new ministry together.

We've Got Mail

We have recieved many, many encouraging emails from folks around the country who have heard our story and written to wish us well. Below is one from today:

I am blessed to hear of the new work God is doing in your midst.

The Lord gave me this song for you just now! I praise God for your faithfulness.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,if with his love he befriend thee.

Your Sister in Christ and friend,
Merlena

Middle Schoolers Need a New Name

The Middle Schoolers want a new name. "Rite-13" was just sooooo last year. If you have a suggestion let 'em know.

Welcome!

Welcome to Holy Trinity Anglican Church's Blog! Our first Sunday of worship was November 4th, and it was great to be together. If you'd like to add a comment to this thread, we'd love to hear from you. Just click on the word 'comment' below. Blessings, Fr. Andrew+