Did you know that hospitality is considered a spiritual practice?  Spiritual practices are those things we do to open ourselves to God’s grace and the transforming work of God’s Holy Spirit.  So what makes hospitality an experience of God’s grace?  In Genesis, chapter 18, the patriarch Abraham entertains three travelers.  He invites them to stop and rest under a tree in a cool and safe location.  He brings them water to wash.  And he and Sarah, his wife, prepare a meal for the travelers.  But, these are no ordinary travelers.  They are referred to as men, but also as Lord.  So the story teaches us, as Hebrews 13:2 clearly states, that we encounter the divine through strangers and guests.  The word “hospitality” means “the love of strangers.”  Each time I am on retreat at Benedict Inn, I am amazed at the extravagant generosity and graciousness shown by the nuns.  As members of the Order of Saint Benedict, they follow his teaching that guests are to be received like Christ and, in fact, we welcome the presence of God in each person and circumstance.

One of the most important expressions of hospitality at Trinity is through the ministry of our Sunday morning greeters.  Many of us have had the experience of visiting a church where we are either ignored or embarrassed.  Neither feels good.  True hospitality welcomes people while also providing them with space.  True hospitality creates a safe, open and generous space that communicates welcome and respect.  It means being fully present and attentive to another person.  That is a rare gift and blessing in today’s fast-paced electronic culture.

Right now at Trinity, we are in great need of greeters.  Please pray about this.  Research shows that most people decide within the first several minutes of entering a church whether or not they will come back.  So greeting is a very important ministry. 

If you would consider being a Greeter, please let Pastor Tracey know. 

When we welcome others, we serve as ambassadors for Jesus.  And when we are attentive to our guests, we often experience God’s blessing through them.  I hope you will consider this ministry need and opportunity. 

Mission Statement:  To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision Statement:  Growing in love and service through relationships with God and community.
Trinity’s Core Spiritual Practices reflect the vows we take for church membership (to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness):

• Daily Prayer – for the church, individuals and the world
• Attendance in Worship
• Financial Stewardship that emphasizes tithing (giving 10%)
• Evangelism that is invitational and relational
• Discovering and using spiritual gifts and talents to serve individuals and the church
• Study and reflection on scripture and other religious writings
  

Ways to get information about Trinity

• weekly bulletin front inside cover and announcements
• monthly newsletter, The Messenger  (digitally at www.trinitylafayette.org/newsletter)
• website:  www.trinitylafayette.org 
• Like us on Facebook:  Trinity United Methodist Church, Lafayette, IN (By liking us, it’s an easy form of evangelism because it’s gets the word out to others about Trinity and its ministries)
  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityFusion

Caring Fund – Amber Traeger and Bob Lilly
Sunday Morning Teams and Helpers:

• Sunday Worship Greeter Team (contact the church office)
• Sunday morning building open/lock team (contact Pastor Tracey)
• Ushers (contact Frank Cederquist: [email protected])
• Sound Crew (contact Lisa Drake: [email protected])
• Children’s Worship Helper (contact Melissa Kramer)
• Coffee Cart Volunteer (contact Isabel Danz: [email protected] or Gloria Thompson: [email protected])
• Bus Ministry (contact Susie Riley)
• Music Ministry (contact Lisa Drake)
• Fusion Team (contact Pastor Tracey) or to volunteer at Fusion, go to the Fusion page and click on the links on the bottom right of the page listing the team leaders.

Other Opportunities:

• Visitation Team (contact Pastor Linda Dolby: [email protected])
• Maintenance Team (contact Bob Lilly: [email protected]; also connects to Caring Fund)
• Lawns and Ground Crew (contact Kristi Evans [email protected] or Dave Yoran: [email protected])
• Offering Counters (contact Melissa Kramer)
• Office help (contact Melissa Kramer: [email protected])
• Garden Ministry:  contact Mel Shoaf or Gloria Thompson
• Living Stones Historic Preservation: contact Pastor Amber Traeger ([email protected])  
• Caring Fund:  contact Pastor Amber

• Discipleship Groups:  contact Kay Franscoviak ([email protected])  
• Trinity Fusion Planning Team – contact Pastor Tracey
• Miller Elementary Ministry – Pam Delaplane (765-543-3007)

Hands-on Missions (show up, do something meaningful and then go home):

• Family Promise – we host 4 x/ year – Kay Franscoviak or Melissa Kramer
• Back to School Bash – Melissa Kramer
• Jubilee Christmas – Kristi Evans and Susie Riley ([email protected])
• Prayer Shawl Ministry – Kay Franscoviak ([email protected])
• Senior Luncheon – Pastor Linda
• Garden  – Mel Shoaf and Gloria Thompson
• Learn more on the Serve tab. 

​Built to Last: Celebrating 150 years at Trinity: 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Trinity’s historic church building.  After our successful February anniversary event, two anniversary events remain this fall.  Each event has a different character and has been geared to a different audience.

On August 11, 2019, Sunday service will include an activities fair to celebrate and highlight ministries at work within our church. Bring your sweet tooth, as a sundae bar will be included. This is a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about the groups and maybe even sign up to volunteer!

Want to check out ways to engage before the fair? Check out http://www.trinitylafayette.org/trinity-news/get-involved-at-trinity.

One person commented on that post:
You've been very consistent when it comes to inviting everyone to be part of the ministry. My sister was an active member of the ministry before and he kept on sharing a lot of stories about her membership there. She definitely had fun, and I am pretty sure that she was able to learn good things from the people she met there. I noticed that she was a changed person as she became kinder towards me!

What a testament to Trinity’s vision of growing in love and service through relationships with God and community.