​​Have you ever gotten into a discussion with someone who held a strong opinion on a subject yet couldn't explain why he or she thought and felt the way he or she did?  Whatever the reason for our perspectives, stopping and thinking about why we believe what we do is an important tool for preparing us to engage with others around us, especially those who view things differently.

The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles address topics  from Agriculture to War, and everything in between.  If it's an issue in today's society, the UMC has thoughts on it! 

​On its 50th anniversary, our denomination is soliciting feedback from everyday Methodists as the Principles are revised.  This is a chance to make our voices heard!  In a joint effort between the
Sunday morning discussion group and the Young Adults group, Pastor Tracey, Morris DuBose, and Jeremy Grossman will be facilitating discussions on some of these principles and involving others (guest speakers) passionate about these topics.  

The morning group will meet June 10, 17, and 24 and July 8, 15, and 22 in the parlor conference room @ 9:15 (childcare provided in the nursery).  The evening group (including snacks) will meet June 24, July 8, and July 22 in the Friendship Room from 6:00-7:30 p.m.  Each week is a distinct topic; attend what interests you. 

June 10 – Creation
June 17 – The Nurturing Community
     (including marriage, family, sexuality, etc.)
June 24 – Social Issues
July 8 – Politics
July 15 – Economics
July 22 – Global Concerns
 
To access the updated social principles online, paste the following link into your web browser: https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/89 

Julieann Davis is our newest community partner. In addition to acting as our master gardener, you will find Julieann and her cousin, Cori Sivils, baking and cooking in our kitchen throughout the week. Julieann and Cori live on the same street, and have always dreamt of having their own business. That dream became a reality when Longlois Artisans began making and selling craft items last year. This year, they have started creating vegan goods (no dairy and no meat or meat by-products) including Artisan cheeses, chips and hummus, and desserts. They also sell aprons, paintings, pet portraits and many craft items. Look for Longlois Artisans at the Moseys, Art in the Park, Lafayette Farmers Market, Fiddlers Gathering and more.

Garden season is finally here! The snow has melted, the garden is ready with aged manure, we’re ready to  plant and we need you! This spring marks the beginning of the second year of our community garden, one of 12
community gardens in the Grow Local urban community garden network. Grow Local's vision is to build, nourish, and nurture community through establishing and growing urban gardens. Through Grow Local, each garden is assigned a Master Gardener and provided resources and support.
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Community gardens are intended to be shared with the community, and if enough produce is available, with food pantries. Our garden engages residents of Centennial Neighborhood and contributes to St. John’s Food Pantry. The garden is an important part of our neighborhood because Trinity is in the middle of an urban food desert, where residents must travel 1 mile or more to the nearest healthy food vendor. You can learn more about urban food deserts at www.trinitylafayette.org/garden. On top of that, nearly one in six people in Tippecanoe County are food insecure, which means that while most people have a source of income, there is a gap between what they earn and what they need to provide three meals a day for their family. Food insecurity has far-reaching impacts in neighborhoods, classrooms and the workplace including health issues. Tippecanoe County has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state of Indiana.

Mel Shoaf returns as our Garden Manager. This year Gloria Thompson will be the garden volunteer coordinator and Julieann Davis will be our Master Gardener. But, our garden and the Garden and Grill meals cannot thrive without volunteers. Did you know that last year, approximately 63 million Americans (or about 25% of all adults) volunteered 8 billion hours, valued at $193 billion? That’s a huge contribution to our communities! Your experience, skills, expertise,
enthusiasm and passion are valued here at Trinity. 

Get involved with the garden!

1. Volunteer to tend the garden. Volunteers will be assigned partners and rows to tend throughout the summer on their own time. There is a mandatory Garden Training Session on Sunday, May 6 immediately following church. Lunch will be provided. If you are not able to attend, you will need to schedule a time to meet with Mel one-on-one prior to or on their first work day to do the training. Contact Gloria Thompson, Garden Volunteer Coordinator.
2. Join us for the Garden Planting Day on Saturday, May 19 at 1 pm. Rain date is Sunday, May 20 immediately following church (11:45 am). We will be planting tomatoes, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, green onions, beets, chard, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and spinach. Signs for the garden will also be assembled that day.
3. Volunteer with the Garden and Grill Meals on June 12, July 10 and August 14 at 6 pm. We will be grilling outside and eating inside. We want to connect with groups that are often marginalized and continue building relationships with our partners and neighbors including Home with Hope, the Domestic Violence Shelter, Fowler Apartments, and Wabash Valley among others. Volunteers are needed to bring side dishes, set-up the food, clean-up dinner, and act as table hosts. Contact the church office if you are interested in helping with the Garden and Grill Meals.
4. We still need a volunteer coordinator for the meals who will contact the meal team each month and find out who is bringing what and who will be setting up/cleaning up. If you are interested in helping in this capacity, please contact the church office.
5. Mel’s Garden Challenge. Each year, Mel plants an extra plant in his vegetable garden at home and donates the produce from that plant to St. John’s Food Pantry. He challenges every Trinity gardener to do the same. Dedicate a plant in your garden this summer to feed the hungry in our community.

If you are interested in helping, please contact the church office at info@trinitylafayette.org or (765) 742-1288

By Pastor Tracey Leslie

​Recently I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Contemplate This with Tom Bushlack.  He interviewed Myra Rucker.  Lots of topics were covered in the podcast, but one statement Myra made really stuck with me.  Myra, who now lives in MN, was raised in rural Texas in what might be considered a stereotypical rural Texas community.  Her father was a college professor and physician.  They moved around and each new place added layers to her diverse life experiences.  She was the only African-American in her first yoga class.  She spoke at great length about how her diverse experiences have allowed her to cultivate a more balanced perspective as she observes how groups of people sometimes hold one another suspect (or at least at arm’s length) and how we can get past those suspicions and stereotypes.  When Bushlack, the podcast host, asked Myra about how people can be challenged to grow and become more gracious toward those who are different, she made the statement that really stuck with me: that “sometimes the best thing we can do is not make things worse.”  Sounds a little like the Hippocratic oath, doesn’t it?

As a pastor, I fear that often Christian evangelism has made things worse.  People are “preached at” rather than “dialogued with.”  People are judged and “corrected.”  I doubt that is ever very helpful.  Certainly we want to spread the message of Jesus; but that message – at its core – is about love and grace.

Trinity continues to take deliberate steps to connect with our neighbors.  We want to do so from a posture of hospitality and grace.  Of course we want people to hear the gospel.  We’d love for people to attend – even join – Trinity.  But we need to start with hospitality and graciousness.  Some people have had negative church experiences in the past.  If they find the courage to step through our doors, we never want to make things worse.  We want to begin with simple gestures of welcome and hospitality.

Over the next year, they’ll be many opportunities for you to volunteer at Trinity as we reach out to welcome our community.  I hope you will be a part of these important efforts.

The Unseen City Tour is one of those opportunities.  This year Trinity will be a stop on the Friends of Downtown Unseen City Tour on Thursday, May 17, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.  We hope people will appreciate touring our beautiful, historic church building.  But just as importantly, we hope they will feel welcomed by us when they walk through our doors.