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December 15, 2024: The Third Sunday of Advent

8 a.m. & 10 a.m. Services

A Charitable Time

Early in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, the nephew of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to convince his uncle that Christmas is not a “Humbug.”

He says, “I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round... as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely."

I truly enjoy giving many financial gifts to the organizations I care about at Christmas. And I know, even if the gift is a small one, it thrills the charity that receives it, as any Christmas present does.

Trinity Church is on my "nice" list this Christmas, and I hope yours, too. We are making gifts for flowers and music (see below), and I am so excited about the new building, a little extra for that too. And because Trinity just needs unattached funds for boring things like the copy paper for the liturgy, one extra gift!

I hope you join Lynn and me in an extra gift, along with the other charities that need our help so much.

Timothy Safford Interim Rector

Tower Lighting

The tower will be lit on December 16th

to the glory of God and in loving memory of

Margaret Stokes (Milda) Ballard,

born December 16, 1949

Wednesday, December 18, 2024:

Noon Healing Service

Join the Rev. Noël Robinson for a quiet service of reflection and prayer, with communion and the laying on hands for healing.

Christmas Flower Donations

Do you love the beautiful poinsettias and flowers that adorn the church at Christmas? If so, please consider making a donation in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving of blessing received to help support our Altar Society. Your contribution provides the flowers, plants, and decorations we enjoy at Christmas, and also helps defray the cost of bread, wine, and candles throughout the year. All dedications will be listed in our Christmas Eve Bulletins.

Please click here to make a donation to the Christmas Altar Flowers. In the memo section please write out the dedication(s).

If you have any questions, please contact:

Chris Pimentel, Flower Chair,

cap5182@cox.net 

Christmas Music Donations

Christmas at Trinity means glorious music.

Whether it is our fantastic Choir, special soloists, or the brass at Lessons & Carols, there is something for everyone. Whatever you

appreciate most about the special music we enjoy at Christmas, think about offering financial support to the music program today. Please click here to make a donation to the Trinity Church Music Department.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Michael Bahmann, Co-Director of Music  

MBahmann@trinitynewport.org 

Christmas Tower Lighting

The Tower will be lit to the Glory of God.

Let us fill the 12 days of Christmas with the Tower lit to God and in memory or thanksgiving of a loved one!  Please click here to make a donation for a Tower Lighting. In the memo section please write down the night of lighting (between Dec. 25th - Jan. 5th) and dedication of the tower lighting.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Molly Chamberlain Parish Administrator

Call the office at 401-846-0660 ext. 202 or

Parishadmin@trinitynewport.org 

Stewardship 2025

A big thank you to all of our members who added their pledge this week.

With 99 pledges received to date (12/12/24), your generosity totals over $328K. The Stewardship team is delighted to see that 10 of those pledges are new this year, and many of the pledges are increased over last year.

If you have not yet made a pledge for 2025, it’s not too late. You can make your 2025 pledge online with a click here.

If you need a pledge card or coaching to enter your pledge online, Terry Commodore or Molly, the Parish Administrator, can help with that.

Blue Christmas Service

December 18th, 6:00PM

The dark time of the year is not a happy time for many people. They are missing loved ones or just feeling alone and "blue." At the Blue Christmas service, we will pray, share, sing, and light a candle against the darkness that surrounds us and take that light in our hearts. All are welcome. ~ the Rev. Noël Robinson.

Christmas Gifts for Trinity Guests!

  Community Meal gathers this month on the 23^rd and the 30^th of December.  Our parish would like to collect gifts for people attending supper.  We are looking for men’s and women’s gloves, and mittens, scarfs, and white tube socks. You wonder, what about Hats?  The generous Prayer Shawl Group has already provided those! 

A special request has been made to create a "Newborn Kit".

If you so choose, please donate items for a newborn (Diapers, burping blankets, onesies).

 If you prefer to give a $5 dollar coffee card, please put it in the collection basket or hand it to Norris Commodore.  Trinity Cares and lives the Gospel!  

From St. Matthew:

 " And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me'".  

Boxes will be in the Tower room on Sunday December 8, 15, and 22.  

Thank you! Deacon Christine and Community Meals

Community Meal Needs Volunteers

Please join us in serving the community! We have been very busy this year and are serving about 100 guests per meal. We delight in providing a restaurant-like experience for our guests but need your help! Please consider joining the team (we have a lot of fun!) by signing up for the many open volunteer slots here: Community Meal Calendar Sign Up. We always serve on the 1st, 4th, and 5th Mondays of the month. - D'arcy Carr.

Trinity Church Reading Group: At our meeting on Monday evening, we decided to skip our meeting in December and fully enjoy the holidays. Our next meeting will be on January 13 at 5:00PM. In the meantime, we decided to read The Lost City of Z, by David Grann. Mr. Gran researched and writes about the expedition of Percy Fawcett in 1925 into the jungle of the Amazon with the aim of discovering the location of the legendary city of gold as described by the native tribes of that region. 

A Note of Thanks –

The silver has been safely put away and now Trinity can lay claim to another successful Silver Tea! The weekend event was everything we’d hoped it would be, due to the contributions of so many of you. Without your support in so many different ways, we would not have been able to pull it off, or to reach a gross profit in the neighborhood of almost $4,000! Proceeds from the tea are used to fund needed projects in our own “living room”. 

Special thanks to all the church staff for supporting us and being present on tea day:  to Michael, Fred and Meryl for filling the room with holiday music, to the faithful Monday craft group, to Mary Sinnott for working with us all week, to Miriam Smith for again donating a boxwood tree for our raffle, to Ellen Patterson and Stan Brown for creating the greens arrangements, to Donna Ellis and Dan Cordeiro for getting the word out there, and most especially to all of you, for crafting at home, baking, making sandwiches, pouring tea, serving, working the kitchen, manning the door or craft tables, helping with set up and clean up, we thank you so much for your precious time and contributions at this busy time of year! 

Chris and Deb

Construction as of 12/12/2024

Trinity Serves Capital Campaign

Behan Bros is making great progress on the construction of the Education and Administration building.

As for the Trinity Serves Capital Campaign, we are closer to unlocking the challenge gift of $75,000. We only have to raise another $235,000 by December 31, 2024.

Your gift presents a unique opportunity to secure our future and be permanently recognized in the new building. Consider taking advantage of the available naming opportunities listed below. You may choose to honor a family member or friend and leave a lasting tribute through your philanthropy.

New Construction Naming Opportunities:

Classroom A                                   $100,000

Classroom B                                   $100,000

Mill Street Entrance                        $75,000

Nursery                                             $50,000

Large first floor windows                 $35,000

Landscaping and planting              $30,000

Ground floor furnishings                $20,000

Palladian Window                            $15,000

Built-in storage                                  $10,000 / Office

Restroom                                           $10,000 / Room

Main Entrance Plaque                    $5,000 and above

Thank you

Norris Commodore, Senior Warden

December Dates to Remember

Sunday, December 22nd – 4:00PM

Christmas on Historic Hill - Lessons and Carols for Christmas. Trinity Church.

Tuesday, December 24th

Christmas Eve Services at Trinity Church.

• 4:00PM Pageant and Family Service.
• 9:00PM Festal Eucharist – with Charpentier “Messe de Minuit”.

 Trinity Choir with members of Providence Baroque.

Wednesday, December 25th - 10AM

Christmas Day Service with The Rev. Della Wager Wells at Emmanuel Church located at 42 Dearborn St., Newport, RI. This is a service for Trinity Church, St. John the Evangelist, and Emmanuel Church on a very special day.

How to get involved

Christmas Services Volunteers needed: For the roles of Ushers at the 4PM Christmas Eve service. We are also looking for a Lector for the 9PM Christmas Eve service. These services are not only special to Trinity but to the Newport Community as well. Please contact Molly Chamberlain, Parish Administrator, 401-846-0660, if you are interested.

Message from TLC: 

"Look at your muscles. The only one that matters is your heart and the compassion it gives." -- Dr. Nichola D'Arienzo, MD (shared by Pam Alexander). Volunteers are welcomed anytime.

Mens Bible Study: Meets weekly on Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00PM via Zoom. If interested in joining, please contact john_gilmartin@mac.com.

Choir Practices: If interested, please contact the Michael at michaelbahmann@yahoo.com or Fred at fjodry@trinitynewport.org.

Prayer Shawl Group (PSG) This Group meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month, 1-3PM in the Hawes Room. The group creates Prayer Shawls, Baptismal Blankets and fellowship. All knitting and crochet talent welcomed.

*Should you have any questions, contact the Parish Administrator, Molly Chamberlain. 401-846-0660

Graveyard Aerial Photos Needed.

We would love to hear from anyone who can take pictures of our graveyard from a drone. Please contact Charlotte Johnson. Email Charlotte02840@gmail.com

The Trinity Altar Society is happy to assist you in providing flowers as a beautiful symbol of what we offer to God in our worship. Whether to honor a loved one’s memory, to celebrate a special occasion, or simply in thanksgiving, it only takes a phone call or an e-mail to Chris Pimentel, cap5182@cox.net

Tower Lighting

The historic spire of Trinity Church is lit nightly. When you contribute to the cost of lighting, you may memorialize a person who has passed or give thanks for an event, like an anniversary or birthday. The traditional offering is $50, but please give as the Spirit moves! Contact Molly Chamberlain, Parishadmin@trinitynewport.org to make arrangements.