JULY 2007

1 July

Holy Communion

Rev Nick Thompson

8.00am

Family Worship

Rev Nina Mead

10.00am

Baptism

Rev Nick Thompson

3.00pm

Evening Worship

Rev Nick Thompson

6.00pm

4 July

Nursery Service

2.00pm

8 July

Holy Communion & Healing

Rev Nina Mead

10.00am

Evening Worship

Mr Robin Gowers

6.00pm

11 July

Nursery Service

2.00pm

15 July

Holy Communion

Rev Maureen Devine

8.00am

Family Worship

Rev Nick Thompson

10.00am

Baptism

Rev Nick Thompson

3.00pm

Circuit Farewell Service
at Trinity Church

Rev David Ellis

6.30pm

18 July

Nursery Service (end of term celebration)

Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Chalfont Park

2.00pm

22 July

Family Worship

Rev Nick Thompson

10.00am

Holy Communion

Rev Nick Thompson & Rev Simon Howard

6.00pm

29 July

Family Communion

Rev Veronica Faulks

10.00am

Songs of Praise

Rev Nina Mead

6.00pm

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

A Time of Prayer:

Every Sunday, 9.30-9.45am , in the Crèche Room

WEEKLY PRAYERS:

9.45am Wednesdays (Communion 4th Wed)

AUGUST 2007

5 August

Holy Communion

Rev Michael Jackson

8.00am

All Age Worship

Mrs Cath Bethell

10.00am

Baptism

Rev Nina Mead

3.00pm

No evening service at Trinity Church

12 August

All Age Communion

Rev Nina Mead

10.00am

Evening Worship

Rev David Ellis

6.00pm

19 August

Holy Communion

Rev Maureen Devine

8.00am

All Age Worship

Deacon Maggie Blake

10.00am

No evening service at Trinity Church

26 August

All Age Worship

Mrs Cath Bethell

10.00am

Holy Communion

Rev Dr Mike Hill

6.00pm

2 September

Holy Communion

Ven Norman Russell

8.00am

Family Worship

Ven Norman Russell

10.00am

Evening Worship

6.00pm

5 September

Nursery Service restarts

2.00pm

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

A Time of Prayer:

Every Sunday, 9.30-9.45am , in the Crèche Room

WEEKLY PRAYERS:

9.45am Wednesdays (Communion 4th Wed)

The Church Vestry is staffed on Saturdays between 9.30am and 11.00am .
If you would like to arrange a Thanksgiving for the birth of a child,
a Baptism or a Marriage, or discuss any pastoral matters, please come then,
or ring the Church Office on 0118 931 3124.
Nick‘s day off is Friday.

Minister’s Letter

I cannot believe that this is my final letter to this august magazine! In just a month we will have the sad task to say goodbye to you all. So where did those 9 years go?!

Inevitably, much has changed since we arrived. I remember writing my first letter, indicating proudly my support of Reading Football Club! In 1998, they were nearly relegated to the 3^rd tier of English football where they have spent most of their unremarkable history. 9 years on, unbelievably, they sit in the top half of the Premier League. Little old Reading !

Life in Trinity has changed much too over this time. As an ecumenical church, we have enjoyed the richness of shared ministry over our early years. My 7 years working with Simon were a time of great blessing and creativity. Now we are getting used to one full-time ordained minister working with a wide variety of people across church life. For a year, that adjustment was hard work but I believe God is helping us to turn the corner. Congregation numbers are well up for the whole of 2007 and I believe that this is just the start of new and exciting times here. The building works will be complete, we trust and pray, by the end of the summer and we are looking forward immensely to the leadership of Jon Salmon, as he comes to us as our new Anglican Minister.

So we look forward, as we must always look forward, with God. As I write, I am away on a short conference in Northern France with the Berkshire Anglican Archdeaconry. We meet under the banner of “Set My People Free”. We are exploring the Exodus story together and discovering new hope and new focus for Christian ministry together.

Living as free people is our calling as followers of Jesus Christ, as we offer that freedom to all in our community and our world. We are people who receive all that we are in the grace of God but, as we receive, we are called to share it also.

I believe that God is very much with us in Trinity, healing, restoring and equipping us for his work in this area.

As I leave, I am so thankful for all of you and will pray for you as you journey on. In this time of change, I recommend that you read the first letter of Acts. Jesus urges his followers to wait in prayer for the gift of his Spirit.

So, I pray for you over these summer weeks, hoping that you find some good rest and space.

I pray too that, in the space, we will all wait on God and trust him for all that he has for Trinity and be ready to be surprised!

For all that is to come, I pray his blessing on you always.

With love and endless thanks.

Nick

A New Anglican Minister for Trinity

In the last few months, we have reported in the magazine on the progress towards finding “The Next Minister”. Well, we have now found a new minister!

Following advertising, interviewing and head-hunting without success, the Archdeacon, Norman Russell, chanced to hear about a minister finishing a curacy in Bradford . Twelve days later, we had made contact with Jonathan, shown him and his family around Trinity and the immediate area of Lower Earley, set up a formal interview date, welcomed Jonathan for the weekend during which he attended morning worship and looked around the vicarage, and completed a rigorous interview, following which it was the unanimous and enthusiastic view of the Committee that Jonathan should be appointed. Jonathan accepted the offer and, as several people commented, everything happened so easily and rapidly that it must have been meant to be.

Jonathan Salmon grew up near High Wycombe and went to University in Swansea and Sussex , where his studies concentrated on Social Anthropology. He worked for thirteen years in overseas development, mainly for the Department for International Development, spending several years in various countries in Africa , in particular in Zimbabwe , Tanzania and Uganda . Jonathan trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and has been an Assistant Curate at St John’s Church , East Bowling in Bradford for the last four years.

Jonathan’s wife, Jo, trained as a textile designer and has recently worked as a debt counsellor for CAP. They have three children, Jack, Lily and Nancy, who, when the family arrives here during August, will be 16, 14 and 11 respectively.

We anticipate that the family will move into the vicarage during August and that the licensing service will be in early September (probably 6 September).

Richard Cocks and Roger Mead

(representatives for the PCC)

Buildings Project Fundraising Update

Thanks to:

· Ann McKie, for opening her garden and raising £106.

· Sarah Moore, for organising (and playing in) the Forty Fingers Concert and raising £512.

· Julia Little, for raising £100 by giving first aid training.

Bring and Buy book sales will continue after the services during July.

Please support the Men’s Walk on 14 July by sponsoring them all.

Now it is over to you.

We do not have big fundraising events during August because of holidays, or during early autumn because of the Autumn Fair. We are getting quite near to our target. The fundraising team have many other commitments. This seems a good time for the team to step down from organising events.

So, it really is now over to you.

Some of you have do