News as of March 8th, 2010

Evening Prayer Sunday at 5:00

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Annual Report here. (click)

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Sunday Forum at 9am on Sunday continues the DVD series on The Emerging Church with a focus on the church of the future. Sunday’s session will feature Richard Rohr addressing the topic Standing Contemplatively in an Active World.

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Arianna String Quartet Tickets to the March 21st concert The Seven Last Words of Christ by Franz Joseph Haydn performed here at Trinity by the Arianna String Quartet are available now, and will be for sale in the Parish Hall during coffee hour.  Limited seating so reserve your ticket early.

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Bishop’s Consecration Tickets  The diocesan website has a link to ticketing for the consecration of the Bishop of the Diocese of Oregon on April 10 at the Hult Center in Eugene. To order tickets, go to www.diocese-oregon.org  and click on Consecration Tickets, or call 800-452-2562.  All are welcome!  See attached invitation.

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Lenten Discipline Two suggested disciplines for this Lent are (1) bring something for the food basket each week, and (2) return books to the Library.  No late fees, no questions asked, just our gratitude.

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Graves Family Concert
 Sunday, March 14, 3pm at Ashland First United Methodist Church, 175 N. Main.  Proceeds go to the fund to refurbish their church organ.  See poster in Parish Hall.

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The Lenten Wednesday evening program will be The Final Week, an exploration of the original Holy Week, based on the book of the same title by Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossen. Fr. Tom Murphy will join Rev. Anne in describing the events in Jerusalem from Palm Sunday through Easter morning. On the last two weeks of the Lenten series, we will watch the film Jesus Christ Superstar from the perspective of what we have learned. Each hour-long program will include teaching and table discussion. Come and get ready for an enriched Holy Week this Lent! Evening Prayer at 6pm, soup supper at 6:30, and program from 7-8pm. Sign-up sheets for cooks and helpers in the Parish Hall.

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Coffee Hour Hosts are needed for the month of March. Please sign up in the Parish Hall.

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Bible Study Thursdays, 10:30am in the Annex.  Come join Fr. Morgan and the group as they examine the Gospel of Matthew.

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Signups, and notices, and more signups!  Signup sheet for coffee hour hosts in the Parish Hall, a 2010 flower chart in the narthex, Food Bank volunteers for February in the Parish Hall. Check the bulletin boards.

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Albertsons discontinues Community Partners program  Albertsons has notified us that they are discontinuing their Community Partners program effective January 31. Through the program Trinity received a quarterly contribution based on a percentage of purchases made by participating shoppers. Thanks to all of you who participated and helped outreach funding through their purchases.

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The Friday Morning Prayer and Bible Study has moved to Tuesday mornings, beginning this week. All early birds are invited to join them in early morning worship and follow up with coffee and study in the Library.

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Food Bank Volunteers Needed Please sign-up for a shift or two in February at the Food Bank. A sign-up schedule is posted in the Parish Hall. For those who have never worked at the Food Bank, a short training session will be held on January 31 after the 10 o’clock service. Call Kathy Griffin or Patti Chase for more information.

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Friendship Dinners This is the last chance to sign up for the Friendship dinners for 2010. 7-8 people (couples or singles) get together four or five times during the year, taking turns hosting, to have a pot luck, brunch, picnic or whatever. It's a nice way to get to know other parishioners and you have all year to do it. Sign up in parish hall or call Emilie and Ruedi Vest. 535-2190.

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Squeeze In. On many Sundays we are blessed to have more worshipers at our ten o’clock service than we can comfortably handle. Please extend every courtesy to fellow parishioners and especially visitors by sitting 5 to a pew when it’s obvious that we need the room or when an usher gives you a certain look. Also, unless you have a physical challenge and need to be on the aisle, please ‘scooch’ in, moving left or right rather than making somebody climb over you. And, to the extent possible, please leave seats in the last few pews and the Narthex for our children, their teachers and parents who are participating in Godly Play, our church school program. and shhhh  Finally, the office has received a number of requests that worshippers be asked to remain silent once they take a seat so as not to disrupt those in prayer or meditation. These common courtesies will help more parishioners have a more meaningful worship experience. Our excellent acoustics carry even hushed voices. Thanks for your co-operation.

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Blood Pressure Clinic  Parish Nurse Sandy Cruz will be taking blood pressure readings this Sunday morning during coffee hour in the Library.

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Malaria Nets for Africa Again this year the Diocese has chosen as its MDG project an ingathering from the parishes to support the Nets for Life purchases through the Episcopal Relief and Development fund.  Last year Trinity’s response was overwhelming!  Do you think we can do it again? $12 pays for one net.  Make your checks to Trinity Church, with the notation Nets for Life.  All funds will be taken to the Diocese in one check, presented at Diocesan Convention by our delegates.

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Centering Prayer Incorporate meditation into your life. Come enjoy Centering Prayer (Christian meditation) with fellow parishioners. We start by listening to a short recording of Gregorian chant; are silent for about 20 minutes; and then the chanting comes on again to bring us back to the room. It is special to share this time with each other. First-timers are most welcome. Call Julia Skai with any questions – 890-7994. 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 in the library.

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Hospice Unique Boutique  After a year of planning, a special resale store opened in June. Ashland’s Hospice Unique Boutique is a not-for-profit shop that funds end-of-life care in Southern Oregon through Hospice.  The Hospice Unique Boutique accepts high-end donations of clothing, furnishings, art and unique items to offer for sale at attractive prices. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Donation hours are 11 – 3 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  A paid part-time manager and assistant supervise the shop, which depends on a staff of volunteers to receive, sort, price, display, and sell. Many of the volunteers, who spend several hours each week at the shop, recognize the value of Hospice and wish to “pay back” for loved ones who benefitted from Hospice care.

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Trinity's Dedicated Food and Friends Drivers Continue to Serve the Home-Bound  We are fortunate to have a number of parishioners whose dedication to the delivery of meals to the homebound has enabled us to fulfill our obligation to the Food and Friends program during the past year and a half, but we need a few more drivers. Although Trinity supports many Outreach efforts financially, Food and Friends is one of a few "hands -on" opportunities. One hour a week for a month is all it takes. There is a sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall. Contact Anne McCollom, 482-3356 or Maggie McCartney 488-5276.

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Godly Play, a new offering for our youngest members, began Sunday, September 20.  Plan to bring your children, or grandchildren, nieces/ nephews, neighbors.  
It is an exciting program for both the children and the teachers.

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Forward, Please  Our Godly Play children join the service at the Exchange of the Peace.  Parents have been asked to sit in the back pews so the children can find them easily.  Please assist this by leaving the last two pews for the parents and children.  Thanks for making this adjustment.

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Coffee Hour Hosts
are needed for the upcoming months.  Please check the sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall.  If you haven’t hosted recently – or not at all – perhaps your turn has come.  Instructions and help are available if you haven’t done it before.

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Parish Nurse
Sandy Cruz is extending her office hours.  She will now be in the office on Tuesday mornings from 11 to 12:30 and Thursday mornings 9:00 to 10:30.  The Parish Nurses will continue to take blood pressure measurements on the 1st Sunday during coffee hour.

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Disaster Recovery The faith community plays an important role in both the response and recovery to a major disaster. Anyone interested in being trained to respond to a major disaster in the Rogue Valley on behalf of the faith community is invited to attend a class at the Medford Congregation UCC at 1801 E. Jackson St from 11:30AM - 1:00PM on Monday April 20th. This class is in preparation for a county wide simulation to be held on April 27th. For more information contact Paul Robinson, President of Rivernet at 840-5640.

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Albertson’s Community Partnership Program Have you relinked your Albertson’s Preferred Savings card yet? Go to www.albertsonscp.com and follow the instructions. Trinity’s partnership number is 49000125908. If you miss the deadline, just go in and register again. For those who are unfamiliar with the Albertson’s Community Partnership program and how it benefits Trinity’s Outreach Program, contact the church office. A small portion of each purchase at Albertson’s comes to Trinity. Many people participating results in even more income for our Outreach efforts.

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Ashland Food Bank has a surplus of some items and is short on others. Needed currently are: oatmeal, cereals (other than corn flakes), cooking oil, jams and jellies, spaghetti sauces. Now More Than Ever Remember to bring a jar of peanut butter, can of tuna, other nourishing canned or boxed foods, or toilet paper, for the food basket.

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Trinity’s Photo Gallery has some new additions inclusing the recent Tuscan Festival. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/trinityec/  There are still a few parties with room left. See the sign up sheets in the Parish Hall and get yourself on the list. It’s all for our Outreach Ministry which has raised $15,000 from the 2008 parties. It’s a fun way to support this important ministry and terrific way to check out frriends' activities.

For photos of the Mt. Ashland Gourmeet Picnic hike click here.

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Recycling Bins
 The parish facilities have a number of recycling bins throughout the buildings.  A new blue bin has been placed just inside the backdoor to the kitchen.  Please use it to recycle all appropriate items.  Materials that are acceptable in a co-mingled container include cardboard, aluminum and tin cans, thin catalogs, plastic bottles, waste paper, newspaper.  A list of the items that may go in the container will be posted at its location.

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Special Offer on Prayer Books   Church Publishing Corporation is offering reduced prices for The Book of Common Prayer, standard pew version as we have in the church, available at $14.25 with either a black or red cover.  The Book of Common Prayer Hymnal 1982 Combination edition is available for $73.50.  This represents a 25% savings on each book.  Sale ends July 1.  If you are interested in purchasing a book for yourself or as a gift, sign up on the sheet in the Parish Hall. The church office will place the order for you.  Call the office at 482-2656 if you have questions.

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Funeral Planning Packets are available in the Office.  The packets include suggestions for scripture readings and hymns, hints on some important steps, as well as an easy to complete guide for your preferences in service planning. .  If you attended the planning sessions and have completed your form, don’t forget to turn it into the office.

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The Altar Flowers schedule for 2009 is in the narthex. Dedication forms are there as well. Designate flower donations to the Altar Guild. Forms and donations may be put in the offering or brought by the office.

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Day by Day devotionals booklets for Jan-March are available in the narthex, including large print copies.  Donation of $1.00 is appreciated.