Ministries of Trinity Episcopal Church

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild prepares for nearly 200 services every year as well as weddings, baptisms and funerals. Members set up before and clear after the services and clean and care for the altar vessels and linens.

Trinity’s retired altar linens are being used in compassionate ministry. When altar linens become worn or torn, they cannot be thrown away; they must either be burned or saved. Thankfully, Trinity’s were saved

Through the national Episcopal Church Women’s newsletter, Trinity’s Altar Guild learned about The Stitching Post, a group of women incarcerated in the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. These women, most of whom are serving life sentences, have designed and sewed burial gowns for infants using altar linens donated by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights. They laid out the altar linens and circled the table, holding hands and praying for the babies who would wear the gowns and for their families. On the day the gowns were delivered to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit of Metro Health Hospital, a Cuyahoga County Hospital, there was an immediate need for a gown.

Pastor Chris enthusiastically agreed to Sacristan Sally Marquette’s request for permission to donate Trinity’s unusable altar linens to this compassionate ministry. Our gift is a twofold blessing. It blesses the women involved in The Stitching Post who are devoted to their project and feel it is their way of giving back to society as well as the grieving parents who are comforted by knowing that people care enough to create a beautiful gown for their baby.

Worship Leadership

Trinity members serve as readers, acolytes, chalice bearers, ushers, greeters and gifts bearers.

Christian Education

Christian Education for all ages is a priority at Trinity. Sunday school for preschoolers through adults is held after coffee hour on Sunday mornings. The adult forum concentrates on current topics of interest to the parish. For current topics, check Tidings - Newsletter

Confirmation classes are held for those wishing to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Classes include Bible studies on Wednesday mornings.

Christ in a Stranger’s Guise (CSG) Committee

“(because you) never know when you might meet Christ in a stranger’s guise.” The CSG committee is the welcoming ministry of Trinity, greeting visitors and newcomers and working to sustain and support our current members. It plans and hosts special recognition and celebration events and distributes goody bags to college students before exams. It coordinates the delivery of meals to ill or temporarily disabled parishioners who live alone and sends get well, birthday and anniversary cards to Trinity members.

Music Ministry

• Choir - The choir welcomes everyone who loves to sing.
• Chime Choir - The chime choir contributes to the beauty of the liturgy. You need not be a trained musician to participate.
• Trinity Ensemble - Parishioners who play musical instruments are encouraged to join the ensemble that plays for the Taize' service. Various members also accompany the organist and choir at other services.

Outreach Committee

The outreach committee plans and participates in a variety of activities that benefit people in our community and around the world. Everyone at Trinity is encouraged to join in all the outreach activities.

• Assistance to Lincoln School
• School Supplies in January
• Adopt a Lincoln School Family at Christmas
• CROP Walk
• Giving tree for CHOPIN Hall at Christmas
• Salvation Army Lunch Program Participation
• Food baskets for Lutheran Social Service
• Meeting place for several 12 step programs
• Collecting socks for Hannah’s Socks
• Working with residents of the Argyle Apartments
• Trinity Community Service Program which allows misdemeanor offenders to fulfill their community service hours under our supervision.

Trinity has raised funds for:

• Constructing a Sunday School Building in Nigeria
• Rebuilding St. Paul Episcopal Church in Picayune, Mississippi after hurricanes
• Building Habitat House
• United Thank Offering
• Heifer Project
• Episcopal Relief and Development for Haiti

Monetary Support Planned in 2010

• Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center
• Chopin Hall
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hancock Christian Clearing House
• Open Arms Domestic Violence Center

Prayer Shawl Ministry

“Knitting, like drumming, is a feat of homegrown magic.” (Susan Gordon Lydon) The Trinity Knitting Circle began this ministry in March 2007. Before each shawl is presented, this blessing is prayed for the recipient: “Be well, be warm, be loved, be comforted.” Prayer shawls have been given to parishioners, family members and special friends who were ill, grieving, making life transitions, welcoming a new baby or experiencing the devastation of a major flood.

Ecumenical Ministry

Trinity is represented in the following ministries, which are open to everyone.

Apostle Build for Habitat for Humanity

Trinity is one of the 17 initial churches that participated in building a house for Habitat for Humanity. In addition to our financial commitment, Trinity provided labor for the build, lunch and snacks for workers onsite and supported the effort by prayer. We hope to involve our entire congregation in the 2009 Apostles Build.

Community Prayer Team

Members from various churches meet once a month to pray for community needs and requests placed in a prayer box at the Family Center. The prayer team holds three major events, a Prayer Gathering for Elected Officials in January, a Neighborhood Prayer Walk which covers the entire city of Findlay in prayer, in June and a Prayer Walk for Findlay Schools on the Saturday before school begins in August.

Social Committee

• Coordinates coffee hour
• Plans and prepares food for special receptions including funerals
• Arranges social events for the parish such as
• Oktoberfest
• Soup and bread lunch before annual parish meeting
• Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
• Agape Supper on Maundy Thursday
• Parish Picnic