Contents

Contents

Services

Minister’s Letter

Trinity Church Meeting

An update on our part-time lay worker post

Hymn Words

New Project Director for Schools Work

Letter to Karen Green and Trinity Church

Craft Fayre Thank You

Trinity Church Small Groups

Christingle Making

Trinity Church Email News

Operation Christmas Child

Trinity Church Communications Group

Girl Guiding in the UK

Chalfont Club

Earley Youth Net

Snowman Treasure Hunt

Wednesday Group

Trinity Walks

Nursery Service

Prayer & Praise

Wayside Pulpit

Eighteen – Thirty Cell

An Evening of Christmas Readings and Music

Nursery Service Christmas

YOUTH NET CHRISTMAS PARTY

Christmas Praise Party

TRINITY CONCERT BAND

The Reading Phoenix Choir

News in Brief

Leading Worship

RESCUE 2008

Church Music Evening & Meal

Deadline for February Diary and Magazine:

Pastoral Pages

Birth

Please pray for

Prayers for the Parish

Prayers for those who live outside the Parish

Christmas Presence

Diary

Services

DECEMBER 2008

JANUARY 2009

Please note that there is a Nursery Service every Wednesday during termtime.

Minister’s Letter

I wonder what’s on your Christmas list this year?  I seem to have loads of ideas in the summer but then I go blank now.  This year, of course, Christmas lists may look rather more sober than in past years, as the credit crunch and financial chaos continue to dig in.  I learned of someone today losing their job, sadly one of so many across the country.  For many, including some among us at Trinity, this Christmas will be harder than usual, as the prospect of tough times ahead are faced up to.  You don’t need me to tell you this of course, but can those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, as the son of the living God, continue to focus our faith this Christmas on Jesus, and hold on to the joy that his birth brings?  Can we celebrate the monumental enormity of this event in such a way that other people will take note and begin to see that our Christmas trees are planted (or potted) on the rock and not on shifting sand which, at the moment, is also doing a good job as sinking sand! 

This year, we’ve got our usual menu of Christmas services (see the various posters and leaflets about them) which I hope you’ll come along to and bring some friends, colleagues and family too, but just coming along is not what it’s really about, is it?  Christianity is not about attendance, it’s about a personal friendship with Jesus and investing in it because the more we invest in it, the more we benefit (that’s true for the Christian economy, if not the financial economy!).  So, when we get together, let’s really raise the roof and show God how much we adore Him and His Son, and give Him thanks for not only what Christmas is, but what it means, its implications for us personally.  Let’s use Christmas this year to really keep the sacred and secular together.  We may not be able to put Jesus back into Christmas across the country but we can at Trinity and in our own celebrations with family and friends.

Ahead of our Christmas festivities this year, I’d like to say a big thank you to all who are putting in effort to make all the services and events come together.  It’s good to know too that our offerings over Christmas are being given to Kagando Hospital .

So, as we look forward into 2009, what’s in store at Trinity?  There’s a possibility we may partner with St Peter’s and employ a shared part-time youth worker.  Please pray about this and the funding especially.  We are beginning to plan an Alpha Course in the first half of the year, and possibly one in the autumn too – more on this after Christmas.  I’m praying too that Alpha will play a part in the further development of our mid-week groups which are such a helpful way to build our faith and relationships with each other.  Please do consider joining a group.  There’s some really good testimony coming from our groups and it’ll be really exciting to see how they develop in the coming year.  Jo and I hope to start a new group in the New Year.  If you have questions about groups or may be interested but aren’t sure, then please do talk with one of the group leaders or come and have a chat with me.

We’ll hopefully have some more social things going on too but underlying whatever activities we may get up to and enjoy, I believe God will continue to challenge us to develop our prayer life at Trinity, to continue developing deeper and stronger relationships with each other and Him and, through these, provide pastoral friendship and support where we can, and also to explore how we can build relationships with our non-Christian friends and colleagues so we can shine the light of Jesus into their lives.  We really need to keep these on the front-burner!

Anyway, my prayers are with you all this Christmas and New Year.  Have a wonderful time.  Thank you Jesus for Christmas!  Here’s to Christmas and the New Year and our next diet!

Every blessing and festive fun,

Jon

Trinity Church Meeting

Monday 8 December 2008

A draft agenda is shown below but it is not too late for you to add other important items, although the agenda is already quite full.  Speak to, or email, John Goddard.

Draft Agenda

8.00      Opening Worship                                  Margaret Stephens

8.10      Minutes of Last Church Meeting (15 September 2008)

         Matters arising – not on the agenda

8.15      Any other Business

         (preferably notified to Secretary or Senior Steward in advance)

8.20        Committee Reports:                                                

         Junior Church                                                Sarah Moore

            Earley Youth Net                                         Bethan Jones

            Pilots                                                           Giles Murphy

            Boys’ Brigade                                                Leslie Bainton

8.35     Pastoral Report                                   Jon Salmon

8.40      Development of Small Groups                    Jon Salmon

8.50      Appointments                                      John Goddard

9.00      Refreshments                                     Margaret Goddard et al

9.15      Orientation                                                  John Goddard*

            (progress & expected completion date)           

9.20      Outstanding matters re Building Extension     David Ramsden

9.25      Finance Update                                           

            inc 2007/08 Accounts, Budget for 2008/09      Norman Briggs

            Proposal to continue employment of                 Jon Salmon

            lay worker for a further year

            5 year plan                                                   John Goddard*

            (building maintenance & other desirable work) 

9.55      Any Other Business                             

10.00     Closing Prayer                                     Jon Salmon

*In the absence of Robert Adamson

Next Church Meeting:   Annual General Meeting - Monday 16 March 2009

An update on our part-time lay worker post

I just want to take a few moments to update you about Trinity’s part-time lay worker post, currently held by Ann Baker.  We’re planning to continue with this post in 2009 and to fund it ourselves.  The original funding arrangement ended in August 2008 and we’ve been funding it since, and we plan to increase the hours from 14 to probably 16 or 17 per week.  The job title will change to Pastoral Development Worker.  (The Methodists have changed Lay Workers into Pastoral Workers, and to reflect that this post is about developing areas of work, we’ve added in “Development” to the title.) 

The job description for this post has been reviewed and will develop slightly.  There are several main areas of focus.  These are: the two weekly Parent and Toddler groups; the weekly Nursery Service; providing regular pastoral support to the elderly (includes visiting local residential homes and assisting with monthly communion services and supporting the Chalfont Club); involvement in pre-baptism visits; and a new area of involvement, the development of something akin to a chaplaincy rôle at the Crescent Centre.  This idea came from the managers at the Crescent Centre.  Ann visits the café there on Wednesday lunchtimes and is seeing two people with this hat on.   Trinity has also agreed to help the Brookside Medical Practice Chaplaincy, at its request, and Ann will be available for this too.  In addition, Ann will continue to be at our 10am services twice a month and will be involved in various Trinity-based meetings.  She has also started to make good links with other community organisations, in addition to the Crescent Centre, such as the Links Visiting Scheme, which a few of us are involved with, and so some time will be spent exploring how this might expand.  Another angle which I think is potentially really important is looking for links between different groupings within Trinity.  For example, we’re trying to develop our 18-30s work and within the Parent and Toddler and Nursery Service, as well as baptism parents, there are plenty of parents and carers who fit this age group.  So, can we make some links here and explore opportunities for building relationships and sharing God’s love?

This post is varied in nature and time is pretty limited each week, and will continue to be with the extra couple of hours a week.  It’s not always very easy either to show where progress has been achieved and progress can simply be very slow too.  Some activities, on the other hand, such as the Nursery Service, have developed considerably in the last year or so and Ann will continue to develop the team of volunteers who deliver this and we’re hoping and praying that we’ll see further developments and additional related activities developing.  Please do pray about this and for Ann and the team. 

One of the key things that this post requires is a willingness and ability to get on, behind the scenes, spending time with people.  A number of us do this which is great and to be encouraged, and Ann has and will continue to do quite a bit and it’s been great to have had some positive feedback about Ann’s part in this. 

Clearly, there’s lots going on and loads to do.  It’s frustrating that more time cannot be funded.  We have budgeted for this post for 2009 and the Church Meeting in December will approve the budget.  This is a really important post for Trinity and it will be exciting to see how it continues to develop.  Ann is planning to provide regular updates in the magazine, to keep us informed of progress as well as the tricky areas, so we can pray about them.   Please do pray for Ann, and all the volunteers that help with this work, and pray too for the work itself.

Many thanks,

Jon

Hymn Words

Now that we are using a laptop and digital projector to display the words of the hymns during services, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to transfer the words to the computer.  Margaret Evans would be grateful if you could inform her of any errors you spot or any discrepancies between the version on the screen and the version in the hymn book. 

You can do this by emailing the church office on trinityearley(at)btconnect.com or by putting a note in the magazine pigeonhole.

Thanks.

New Project Director for Schools Work

REinspired, the Schools Work Project which we support, has appointed a new Project Director, Paul Haynes.  Taking over from Pete Stone, Paul comes from an IT and Software Development background and is looking forward very much to the change of focus in his work.  He’ll be promoting and developing the work of REinspired and also working with the local schools and REinspired volunteers to deliver RE sessions, both at school and in church.

Trinity has close links with 3 local primary schools – Whiteknights, Hillside and Radstock.  All 3 visit Trinity for REinspired sessions, the visits hosted by volunteers from REinspired and our own church.

Thank you to Gordon Guile and Gemma Keeley for their help with these visits and to Lisa Waite, who is our main ‘advocate’ for REinspired at Trinity.

For more information about REinspired, please contact Lisa (0118 986 1418) or myself in the church office.

Margaret Evans, Administrator

0118 931 3124

Letter to Karen Green and Trinity Church

from Rebecca Wilson

23 November 2008

Dear Karen

I would like to thank you and everyone at Trinity Church for letting me sell my Christmas Puddings at the Church Craft Fair.  It was very kind of you and much appreciated.  I sold 25 puddings altogether that afternoon, raising £137.50 towards my Girlguiding trip to India in August 2009.  I have now raised £625.00 towards this exciting venture. 

Thank you again.

Kind Regards.

Becca

Craft Fayre Thank You

We had such a fabulous day for the Craft Fayre - the sun shone and the rain stayed away, although it was cold outside (but warm in the church!).  We had more than 200 people through the door and a comment from a non Trinity member who said that the church had a lovely community atmosphere.

The Dalek was of course a crowd puller - lots of interest from Doctor Who fans, young and old.  He was fully animated and vocal, which gave a few people a bit of a surprise as they passed by.  Dalek Orion very kindly donated all the money collected to Trinity.

This was our 5th Christmas Craft Fayre and Joan Guile loaned us her very useful folder of information from the previous Fayres that she has organised.  Having finished our building alterations, we were raising funds for Trinity Church , and the organisers would love to see the money used towards the hospitality that Trinity offers.  Suggestions have been for a coffee machine or redecorating the hall.

A great many thanks go to all those who helped to make the day run smoothly, for setting up and clearing away, serving refreshments, manning the door (a very cold job) and selling raffle tickets.  For the gorgeous cakes that were made, Suzannah and Amanda for donating their time and creativity on the Face Painting and Sandy Catchick for selling her cards.

The money raised so far is £820, still to add to this is the sale of cakes on Sunday and the Snowman Treasure Hunt game.

Stallholders                  £261.00

Door                             £201.60

Refreshments               £109.74

Raffle                            £67.20

Sandy Catchick’s Cards     £16.30

Face Painting                   £26.15

Cake Stall                      £57.30

Dalek Orion                    £75.55

Thank you to all who helped and came along.

Karen Green, Jane Page and Emma Davies

Trinity Church Small Groups

We have 6 small groups, meeting regularly mid-week.

Visitors and new members are always welcome, so why not come along to one of the sessions and see what goes on.

Margaret Evans

Administrator

Christingle Making

Saturday 13 December 10am to 11am

Trinity Church Hall

Help needed to assemble christingle oranges for the service on Sunday 14 December.

Fun for all ages!

More information from Kay Slack:

trinity.magazine(at)ntlworld.com

Trinity Church Email News

Many people value the regular news and updates that I send out from the Trinity Office by email.

If you would like to join the circulation list, please write to me at  trinityearley(at)btconnect.com

If you have an item you would like considered for inclusion in the news, please send it to me by noon on Wednesday.

Margaret Evans

Administrator

Operation Christmas Child

Trinity Church Communications Group

keeping you informed

The Communications Group aims to bring a better distribution of information to everyone involved in Trinity and to the wider world. 

The group members all carry out relevant jobs within the church.  Here’s a bit about what we’ve been up to ...

Magazine Editor:  Kay Slack.  Kay edits this magazine and makes sure information is submitted to her.

Publicity Officer:  Karen Green.  Karen liaises with the local papers and schools, distributing leaflets and arranging press coverage of events.

Administrator:  Margaret Evans.  Margaret has oversight of all the notice boards, the email news, service sheet news and projector news.

Website:  Alex Robinson.  Alex is working on an updated website, assisted by Chris Pugh.

Senior Steward:  Richard Cocks.  Richard has been very involved in organising the outside boards, liaising with the manufacturer over aspects of design.

Church Minister:  Rev Jon Salmon.  Jon co-ordinates the work of the group & has also facilitated the introduction of the digital projector to the church.

Church Secretary: John Goddard.  John chairs and convenes the meeting.

Recently, the group have discussed and implemented the following improvements at Trinity: new notice boards – inside and out, new children’s board, new digital projector and screens; better leaflet holders.

Publicity has included: Press coverage of Jon’s Marathon run, the Harvest Festival, Autumn Fayre and Craft Fayre.  Information about our Christmas services and other news has also been widely circulated.

Coming soon in 2009: 2 new boards outside the church – a ‘community board’ and a ‘wayside pulpit’ plus also a ‘suggestions box’ for the lobby.

If you would like to know more about this group, or if you have ideas or requests for improving communication at Trinity, please do speak to any of the members, or ring the office.

Margaret Evans, Administrator

Girl Guiding in the UK

Rainbows, age 5 to 7,  Brownies, age 7 to 10,  Guides, age 10 to 14,

News from Chalfont District

6th Brownies: We have completed the Science Badge.  We visited “The Lookout” in Bracknell , did various experiments which included making an acid indicator and using it to test foods, making a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, playing a tune with various sized jars/bottles with varying amounts of water in and growing a bean in both the light and dark.  22 Brownies passed - well done!  Also, seven new girls have been enrolled.  We are now busy with Xmas preparations! 

2^nd Brownies: We have been practising for our Christmas entertainment, which this year includes Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, dancing, singing and a recorder group.  Each week we have also found time to do a Christmas make and one week we made a bird cake to hang in the garden.

Rainbows: We are looking forward to our Christmas party which we will share with a Rainbow Unit from Woodley.  We have made christingles and one meeting we went to the Lake .

Guides: The girls who did the cooking competition had great fun, they did really well.  We are busy preparing for our camp at WINGS in 2009.  Four girls are now a third of the way through their Baden Powell Challenge.

We have a large number of girls on our waiting lists.  If you think that you could volunteer to help run a unit, we would love to hear from you.

For frther details about girl guiding in Lower Earley, please contact our District Commissioner.

Chalfont Club

Thursdays from 2.00pm until 3.30pm

Trinity Church Hall

Everyone welcome.

Autumn Programme 2008

Spring Programme 2009

Restarts 30 April 2009

Contact Rosemary Reece for more details.

Earley Youth Net

Youth Net is for anyone aged between 11 to 18.  It is a chance to explore Christianity and what it means to you.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month from 7.15pm to 9.00pm.  A typical evening involves games, worship and small groups to explore the theme of the evening in more depth. 

For more info, talk to Mike Bushnell, Martin Carrick or Bethan Jones.

AUTUMN MEETINGS:

·         Dec: Youth Net

·         17 Dec: Christmas Party (7-9pm)

SPRING MEETINGS:

·         14 Jan: Youth Net

·         28 Jan: Youth Net

·         11 Feb: Youth Net

·         25 Feb: Half Term Event!

·         11 Mar: Youth Net

·         15 Mar: Youth Net

Snowman Treasure Hunt

Wednesday Group

Trinity Walks

There will be a planning meeting for the 2009 walking programme at 16 Radstock Lane at 8.00pm on Tuesday 13 January.  This meeting is open to all, so please come and share your ideas and suggestions for next year.

The December 2008 walk will be on Saturday 27 December, meeting at 10.00am at Trinity.  This walk of about 4 miles will be led by Jill and Dave Ramsden and will be followed by an optional pub lunch.  The post Christmas walk is always well supported and gives a perfect opportunity to get some much needed fresh air and exercise after the festivities.

The January 2009 walk will be on Saturday 31 January, meeting at Trinity at 10.00am.  More details later.

John Medcraft

Nursery Service

For 0-5s,

parents & carers.

At Trinity Church

Chalfont Close, Lower Earley

A short, interactive pre-school service
with songs, stories, music & games
followed by craft, toys, action songs,
fellowship and refreshments.

Every Wednesday in Term time

2pm - 3pm

Dates:

10 December

Christmas Praise Party: 17 December
7, 14, 21 & 28 January, 4 & 11 February
Half Term 18 February
25 February, 4, 11, 18 & 25 March & 1 April

Come and join the fun!
Everyone Welcome.

Trinity Church Office  0118 931 3124.     Ann Baker

 Prayer & Praise

Wayside Pulpit

We plan to erect a wayside pulpit on the outer wall of the church facing the road – where the banners are normally situated.  If you have any suggestions for suitable slogans, then please email the magazine or put a note in the magazine pigeonhole in the church hall. 

We are looking for short, pithy sayings which will encourage passers by to pause and think about God or an aspect of faith.

Kay Slack

trinity.magazine(at)ntlworld.com

Eighteen – Thirty Cell

Thursday 8pm in the chapel, Trinity Church

For more information, contact Laura or Gemma.

Email: etc.trinity(at)yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: ETC (Eighteen-Thirty Cell)

An Evening of Christmas Readings and Music

Trinity Church

on

Saturday 13 December 2008

At 7.00pm

Contributions of £5.00 for adults & £2.00 for children to Trinity Church

Festive Refreshments will be served during the interval & there is a Raffle

Tickets on sale after the 10am Service  or book your ticket by adding your name to the list on the Church Notice Board. 

Nursery Service Christmas

A time of Christmas celebration

For the under 5s

Wednesday 17 December

At Trinity Church

1pm - Party Time, seasonal refreshments, games, Christmas craft.

2-3pm - Interactive nativity service,
Christmas songs and more.

Parents, carers and grandparents welcome,
 so come along and join the fun!

Trinity Church Office: 0118 931 3124       Ann Baker:

YOUTH NET CHRISTMAS PARTY

Wednesday 17^th December at Trinity Church

7-9pm

Featuring:
The Innocent &
Sounds of Salvation

Christmas Praise Party

Trinity Junior Church invites

all children and young people

aged 3 years and up to join us

in Centrepoint Community Centre for a

Christmas Praise Party

Sunday 21 December

10.15am

For more details, contact Kay Slack

TRINITY CONCERT BAND

Presents

A Midwinter Concert

Melodies For You

A programme of our favourites

Saturday 7 February 2009

At Trinity Church

Contact Sandy Godfrey

The Reading Phoenix Choir

At Wesley Methodist Church

Queens Road , Reading

Saturday 28 February 2009

7.30pm

Tickets:  £10

Concessions:  £8

in aid of Action for Children (NCH)

Tickets available from June Curnow

Registered Charity Numbers: 1097940 / SC038092

News in Brief

Leading Worship

A worship leader course is being held early in the New Year, beginning on Monday 2 February for approximately seven weeks.  This is open to all.  

Contact Sue Rowell for more information.

RESCUE 2008

Rivers and Environmental Spaces Clean Up Event

15 & 16 March 2009

RESCUE is a community-led clean up event that happens every March in and around Reading .  Volunteers work alongside the rivers Thames and Kennet, the Kennet & Avon Canal and other streams and brooks around Reading to deal with litter and other rubbish.  They also work in areas away from the rivers that have become dumping grounds for rubbish, including woodlands, open spaces, highway verges, school grounds and alleyways.

You can get involved during the weekend by:

Becoming part of the RESCUE Action Group, forming your own group, joining a group or you can identify a litter hotspot that would benefit from a clean up during RESCUE.  

To get involved, call the RESCUE Hotline: 0118 939 0100 or email: rescue(at)reading.gov.uk

Church Music Evening & Meal

Please save the evening of Saturday 9 May in your new diary for a fundraising social event starting at 7pm.  More details from Sandy Catchick and in the next magazine.  Sandy will be looking for volunteers to help in the new year.

Deadline for February Diary and Magazine:

Pastoral Pages

Birth

Chris and Sarah Pugh are proud to announce the birth of their new daughter – Antonia Charlotte, born at 23:19 on 20 November, weighing 8lb 11oz.

Congratulations to all, including Antonia’s brothers, Ollie and Dominic.

Please pray for

·         The family and friends of Stewart McEwan, who died in a canoeing accident in Wales .

·         People in hospital.

·         People dealing with redundancy and all those looking for work.

·         Struggling businesses in these difficult times.

·         All those who are lonely, sad or grieving, especially during the Christmas period.

·         People who have recently undergone operations or other medical treatments.

Prayers for the Parish

Please pray this month for those who live and work in these parts of our parish:

Area D

Prayers for those who live outside the Parish

Please pray for those who live outside our parish in these streets:

Area D

Christmas Presence

by Kay Slack

Wrapped in brightly coloured paper
and laid under a tree,
Square, lumpy, large and small,
presents for you and me.

Wrapped in swaddling clothes
and laid in the hay,
God is in the present,
past and future
and came on Christmas Day.

The most precious present
was delivered from above,
“To the World,
From Your God,
With all my love”.

Diary