The Church of the Holy Trinity

Parish Notices, August 29, 2010

Parish Calendar

Nightly
Shelter for the Homeless

Sunday, August 29, 2010
8:00 A.M. — Holy Trinity
10:30 A.M. — Holy Eucharist
6:00 P.M. — Holy Eucharist for an Emerging Church

Monday, August 30, 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010
7:00 P.M.  — Yoga Class

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
6:30 P.M. — Holy Eucharist

Saturday, September 4, 2010
12:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. — Thrift Store
5:15 P.M. — Neighborhood Supper

August Film Festival

Faith Be Not Proud
Wednesday Evening Screenings Begin at 7:15 P.M.
Faith challenges, crises of the spirit, and glimpses of grace! Holy Trinity's August film series will feature two award-winning films in which people of faith find themselves in crisis over human brokenness and discover, even so, God's grace and love. Each Wednesday evening begins with Holy Eucharist at 6:30 P.M., then continues with a light supper and a screening of the first or second half of a film. Each evening concludes with guided discussion to tease out the spiritual themes.
August 4 & 11: Black Narcissus (1947)
Anglican nuns attempt to establish a religious community in the Himalayas and discover, within themselves in that lonely and exotic place, temptations of the flesh and violent jealousies.
August 18 & 25: Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
Based on the novel by Georges Bernanos, the film tells the story of a young parish priest's faith through both illness and an experience of failure in his ministry. A famous line from the film that influenced Martin Scorcese and the making of Taxi Driver is, "God is not a torturer."

Rector's Diary

What I Will do on My summer Vacation
I am beginning my vacation which will take me away until the end of August. The staff and I have spent time making sure that all things are in place for the next few weeks. R.C. Laird is ready for any pastoral emergencies, the clergy rota is in place, and our lay leaders are assuring me that the Neighborhood Supper and other programs will be well staffed. The Wardens and Erlinda know how to reach me in extreme emergency, but I suspect and hope that all will be well. We received word that our $250 fine for not having a water meter has been rescinded. The judge who heard our case wrote in his decision, “I credit Rev. Phillips’ testimony and find that he has presented a meritorious defense to the charged violation.” Maybe I should have been a lawyer!!??!! (Actually, I’m just fine with the career choice I made.) The other really great piece of news is that the contractor for St. Francis Way is ready to start! I look forward to seeing our new “plaza” upon my return from vacation. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the fund to make this happen. A special thank you is due Franny Eberhart who put all the pieces together, and thanks for everyone’s patience while those various pieces remained scattered. So what will I be doing on my summer vacation? We will spend time touring various parts of New England. Since Sarah doesn’t have vacation time until the middle of the month, I’ll visit our son in Burlington, VT, then hike Mt. Washington again, this time with Gracie. When Sarah is free, we will return to her family’s “heritage” site, Cape Ann. I hope everyone in the parish takes or gets some time to recharge, restore, and renew. Holy Trinity is a busy, active, 24/7 parish. We accomplish much throughout the year, and I truly believe that our ability to continue our ministry would suffer without time away.
Michael, August 1, 2010

Outreach

Thrift Shop is Moving to the Gym!
Please save your donations until September!
Holy Trinity's Thrift Shop is steadily progressing in its move to a new location in the gymnasium, located on the third floor of St. Christopher's House. The faithful volunteers are now ready to process back inventory, so anything stored in the gym that is NOT Thrift Shop merchandise should have been removed by July 15, 2010. 
    Meanwhile, they gratefully ask that you save your next donations until September. The Thrift Store will NOT be accepting donations in July or August. Next fall, the Thrift Store will accept donations of clean, gently used clothing, coats, shoes, accessories, kitchenware, small furniture items, books, and small appliances (no computers).
   Please do continue to shop at the Thrift Store this summer, for all proceeds support Holy Trinity's mission and ministries. Shop Holy Trinity first! The Thrift Shop is open every Saturday from 12:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. Come bargain hunt, and bring your friends!

Carpenter's Kids: Holy Cow!
A big thank you, again, to all who contributed to the Carpenter's Kids program this year. Holy Trinity raised enough money not only to fulfill our commitment of providing supplies, uniforms, and breakfasts for 50 AIDS orphans in Chitelela, Tanzania, but also to send a cow to Chitelela! That's right, a cow. The milk from the cow will be used to fortify the children's breakfasts. The first calf born will constitute a retirement fund (there isn't one otherwise) for the parish priest in Chitelela. Please read about your good work in the June 2010 Carpenter's Kids newsletter, where Holy Trinity's incorporation of the Carpenter's Kids program into our Lenten discipline is featured. Copies are available on the church's information tables or online at the Carpenter's Kids website. Click on NY newsletters and then on June 2010. If you haven't donated to this wonderful ministry but would like to, please consider making a contribution for the 2011 Carpenter's Kids fund. To sponsor one child for a year, write your check for $56.50 payable to "The Church of the Holy Trinity" and write "Carpenter's Kids 2011' in the memo line. With questions, contact Susan Valdés-Dapena, the parish Carpenter's Kids liaison. With much gratitude, on behalf of the kids and families who care for them!

Formation Programs for Adults

Parish Retreat: Twenty-First Century Neighbors
September 24-26, 2010
Who is our neighbor? How are neighbors to be treated? How do we respond when neighbors treat us poorly? How can we use our Christian vocation to build a safer and more holistic world?
The heart of Jewish Torah has two chambers: Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. The concept of "neighbor" was foremost in the spirituality of first-century Israel, not only as a country occupied by a foreign (and pagan) army, but also as a highly stratified society. Torah demanded certain behavior toward one's neighbor. Yet Torah also demanded very little in regard to "non-neighbor". Jesus addressed this highly charged question throughout his life and ministry. Today, in the 21st century, we Christians carry his legacy.
   At Holy Trinity's fall parish retreat, led by the Rev. Michael A. Phillips, you are invited to spend time in discussion and reflection about the nature of "neighborliness", especially in the multicultural context of New York City. The retreat will be held at Little Portion Friary, an Anglican Franciscan community in a lovely country setting on the north shore of Long Island. The cost is $210 per person, which includes accommodations and meals beginning Friday evening and continuing through Sunday lunch. Public transportation is available to the group on the Long Island Railroad to Port Jefferson, where the brothers will pick us up for a ten-minute ride to the Friary. Reservations are limited: To reserve your place, or if you would like to learn more, please email Carol Stevenson, or call her, 212-535-5676.

Tuesday Night Yoga
You are invited to a lively, non-competitive yoga class from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Tuesdays, on the second floor of St. Christopher’s House. Yoga can help you build strength, gain flexibility and cultivate peace of mind. A formally-trained teacher will guide you through Sun Salutations, standing poses, forward bends, twists, relaxation and more. If you’re new to yoga, here’s your chance to give it a try. If you already have a yoga practice, come share and expand it. Classes are appropriate for all levels. So grab your mat and come over! $15 per class. Questions? Please email Liz Poole, or call her, 212-517-5425. If you’ve been laid off, class is free.

Formation Programs for Children & Youth

Building the Afterschool Library
The library of Holy Trinity's afterschool, the Yorkville Arts Academy (YAA), is requesting donations! Do you remember loving a book when you were in school? Does your own child or teenager speak of a favorite character? Donate a book and write a note, with your name, in the inside front pages. The YAA will gratefully accept new or used hardcover and paperback books. Donations may be left with the parish office. With questions about the library, or with interest in enrolling your child in the afterschool for 2010-11, please contact Mary Ausman, Director, 646-919-5536.

Child's Play
Child's Play at Holy Trinity, the playgroup program for toddlers/babies and their parents and grandparents. Fall session begins September 13, 2010 and ends January 21, 2011. Playgroups are led by a facilitator and include Circle Time with songs, art, stories, imaginative play with hoops, puppets, parachutes, tunnels, and more! Playgroups are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. (ages 18-30 mos), Wednesdays and Thursdays (ages 12-24 mos); and Wednesdays 11:15AM-12:15PM (ages 4-12 mos.) The drop-in fee is $25 a session.Full term per family is $350. With interest and questions, please contact Holly Nedelka, Director, 212-879-2019. You can also visit the Child's Play website.

Parish Administration

Updating the Parish Directory
Lots of people move during the summer, and email addresses are always changing. The Parish Office wishes to make sure that you receive electronic and snail-mail communications from Holy Trinity. If you have recently changed your mailing or email address, please give the new information to Parish Administrator Erlinda Brent, 212-289-4100, ext. 201. Received the good news!

Sacred Music: The Choirs of Holy Trinity

Would You Like to Sing?
Holy Trinity offers choirs for children and adults who enjoy perfecting the parish's praises through music.
The Trinity Choristers, directed by Stephen R. Fraser, comprises singers ages 8-14 and teenage instrumentalists. The young musicians perform a wide repetoire, including Anglican and Gregorian chant, traditional hymnody and contemporary praise music. Through performances, regular rehearsals, special field trips, and regular social activies, the choristers learn the arts of musical performance and reading music, recieve education in music theory, form new and lasting friendships, experience personal enrichment and gain confidence, and develop a commitment and passion for music.  Rehearsals are on Saturday afternoons. To express interest in the 2010-11 season, please email Stephen, or call him, 212-289-4100, ext. 216.
The Holy Trinity Choir, directed by Dr. Stephen Jon Hamilton, is Holy Trinity's adult choir. The choir sings most Sundays from Homecoming in September to Trinity Sunday and also presents the annual Lessons and Carols service in December, special Holy Week liturgies and the Fauré Requiem on Good Friday. The Holy Trinity Choir rehearses on Sunday mornings beginning at 8:45 A.M. in the choir room. Any member of the parish is welcome to audition. To express interest in the Summer Choir or the 2010-11 season, email Dr. Hamilton, or call him, 212-289-4100, ext. 210.