Virtual Programming with Trinity Church

Dear Trinity friends,  

 

Greetings and peace to you! I write to share an update about programming at Trinity. Please see below for some initial details about how we are preparing to gather virtually and continue our rich opportunities for formation, even as we socially distance ourselves. While our new situation has its challenges, we recognize that God continues to work in and through us even in the bleakest moments, and that God does not leave us to face these challenges alone. We believe continuity of our parish programs can remind us of God’s constancy. 

  

By participating in these virtual meetups, you have the opportunity both to bless and to be blessed. Whenever you find connection, solace, and grounding from gathering with others (as I hope you will!), your presence is simultaneously providing those things for others. Saying yes to this giving-and-receiving is what binds us together as a community and is at the heart our Being Trinity Church. 

  

Bible Studies  

Bible studies are small groups of Trinity parishioners who meet once a week to read and reflect on the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday. Many of us have discovered that talking about Scripture together leads to deep friendship and a place to explore how our Christian faith shapes the way we live our lives, both of which have taken on new relevance in the current moment.  

  

In the coming days, each Bible study group’s lead coordinator will receive information about setting up a Zoom conference for their group at its regularly scheduled day and time. 

  

If you are not already connected with a Bible study group and would like to join one, please email Kristen Filipic at kristen.filipic@gmail.com. Groups meet on a variety of days and times, and Kristen can help to connect you to one that works well with your schedule.  

  

Choir 

Our beloved choir exemplifies the giving-and-receiving nature of community, even though the inability to gather in person poses particular challenges to their ministry. All members of the choir community are invited to gather for virtual choir fellowship, to take place over Zoom the evening of Thursday 3/19. Please email Marissa Hall at mhall@trinitychurchboston.org for more details. 

  

Formation  

We are striving to continue gathering for Christian formation by using Zoom meetings. Much as we are accustomed to gathering in different age cohorts on Sunday mornings, we will look to emulate that model in the virtual sphere. Because some households might only be able to participate in one Zoom meeting at a time, we will try staggering our timing: 

  

10:00 AM Children’s Ministries (preschool-grade 5 and their parents)   

Cathy Portlock Pacitto, Director of Children’s Ministries, will host a Godly Play lesson and children’s homily over Zoom this Sunday morning, before our virtual worship service. Click here on Sunday at 10:00 AM to join the Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/749906877. Please look for an email from Cathy with additional details. You can reach Cathy by email at cportlock@trinitychurchboston.org. 

  

12:30 PM Youth Ministries (grades 6-12)  

Youth and their mentors will gather on a Zoom call on Sunday afternoon, after our virtual worship service, to check in with each other and spend time together in community. Youth and their parents should look for an email from me with more information and a Zoom link. 

  

3:30 PM Forum (Christian Education for Adults)  

This Sunday, our Lenten Forum series – “Embracing Joy” – will continue. Bill Rich will explore and reflect on Psalm 23 (our appointed Psalm for this Sunday) at 3:30 PM over Zoom. You can join the meeting by clicking here on Sunday at 3:30 PM: https://zoom.us/j/668856570. You can also listen to the audio by dialing 1 646 558 8656 and entering the meeting ID: 668 856 570.  

  

Compline 

We intend to offer compline Monday-Friday at 8:30 PM via Zoom, starting tomorrow, March 20 and running through the Wednesday in Holy Week, April 8. A "test group" of parishioners have been helping to refine the experience this week – it’s been both wonderful and imperfect, and we will continue to learn as we go with the goal of creating a nightly prayer space where we can all convene. 

 

We can accommodate up to 500 people in each gathering and invite you to join simply by calling on your phone or (strongly recommended) clicking in from your desktop and using your computer's camera, speaker and microphone capabilities. Join us beginning this Friday, March 20 at 8:15 PM to say hello and gather. We'll begin compline at 8:30 PM and wrap up before 9:00 PM. 

 

To join by phone (no video): dial 1 646 558 8656 and when prompted enter the meeting ID which is 644 949 302. To join by computer, see us, and let us see you, use this link: https://zoom.us/j/644949302. You may be prompted to download and run Zoom. If you have a prayer book, have it open to p. 127, or view compline at https://www.bcponline.org/. 

  

Tech Resources  

God blesses us in unexpected ways, and this past week, those blessings have looked a lot like Zoom, FaceTime, and Facebook Live. These digital tools are allowing us to continue gathering, learning, and worshipping together during this season when we must remain physically apart. However, we know that they may be completely new and unfamiliar to you and may be intimidating to try to figure out on your own.  

  

A number of young adults from Trinity’s 20s and 30s Fellowship have volunteered to help others learn the basics of participating in a Zoom conference. They will walk you through the steps of joining a meeting via your phone or computer and show you how to navigate the platform so that you can be a confidant participant in any of the Zoom gatherings of our Trinity community in the coming days and weeks. Whether you’ve never used Zoom before or just have a question or two, if you would like to connect with one of these “Zoom Angels,” please contact me.  

  

Additional Programming  

Since we are building this car as we drive it, the gathering opportunities outlined here are intended as a starting point. We hope that they will grow and evolve as we all settle into new rhythms, new schedules, and new ways of being church. Tomorrow, look forward to a message from Morgan Allen about our worship plans for this Sunday and the upcoming weeks. Next week, look forward to a message from Paige Fisher that will share word of how we will support continuity of our fellowship programming. 

  

In the meantime, if you would like to explore other ideas for Formation during this season away from our Copley Square home, please email me at sneumann@trinitychurchboston.org. 

  

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to envision and empower programming at Trinity in this new and different landscape. I invite you to join me in saying a prayer of thanks for the things that I don’t fully understand and yet trust to keep us connected – the Holy Spirit, WiFi, and the power of Being Trinity Church with you. 

  

All best,  

Sarah Neumann 

Minister for Youth and Young Adults