Trinity Presbyterian Church 4365 S.R. 776 Venice FL "The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

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1 Trinity Presbyterian Church 4365 S.R. 776 Venice FL Spotlight on the Choir THE PROMISE OF LIGHT "The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:2 All eyes will be on the Chancel Choir as the Trinity Music Ministry presents their long-anticipated cantata The Promise of Light. It fills me with joy week after week as I have seen the ranks of our Chancel Choir swell and fill our worship services with meaningful, God-glorifying music. All of us agree that our new Choir Director, Susan Brembs is simply extraordinary. She has recruited and assembled such an outstanding group of talented people in such a short time! Susan is a real gift to our congregation. In describing this Cantata, Susan tells us: Light is essential for life here on earth in fact, it is mentioned more than 230 times in the Bible. The Promise of Light is a musical celebration of God s gift of eternal light to humankind through music and narration. It tells us the timeless story of the birth of Christ, the Light of the World. I think you are in for a real treat on Sunday afternoon. (You already know I m going to skip watching my unnamed favorite football team live that day. That s because I m looking forward to seeing/ hearing something much better). After all, it s The Promise of Light! Won t you join us this Sunday, December 6 th at 3:00PM? CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE Trinity will hold it s traditional Family Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Wednesday evening, December 24th. We will discover a sanctuary shimmering in candlelight. This is an all ages event and everyone is invited to share in this joyous worship experience. There will be a special time with the Children, the traditional Scripture lessons, and a brief message from Pastor Chuck. Of course, the evening will conclude with a Carole Sing and Candle Lighting as our sanctuary shines brightly representing Christ, who is the light of the world. The Service begins at 7pm. Be sure and join us as we welcome Christ, The Light of The World!

2 P a ge 2 T rinity-tril ites D ecember 2015 A Trinity Tradition for Nearly 50 years! GoodNEWS & GreatJOY What is Your Prayer This Christmas? In the late 1960s it began as a thoughtful gesture to help supplement pensions for retired pastors and missionaries on Christmas Eve. Since then, it has become much, much more. Over the decades it has grown to be the centerpiece of Trinity s ministry and mission as the congregation celebrates the Advent/Christmas season by paying all of our mission causes and finishing the year strong financially. A BIG THANK YOU. To ALL of our Volunteers The Staff of Trinity want to take this time to thank each and every one of you who have spent endless hours throughout this past year, giving of yourselves through volunteer service. There are far too many to name each one by name or even category. But we want you to know that what you do has not gone unnoticed, and we are truly grateful AND thankful. Your service truly makes a difference in the life of Trinity. It is no secret that Session has adopted what is essentially a FAITH BUDGET. We are trusting God to meet our needs. As an act of faith, your leaders have set a goal of $25,000 to be received before December 31, In the coming days you will receive information about this vital outreach to our congregation s financial wellbeing. Please give generously! Women Of Trinity December 12 Christmas Tea January 20 Plantation Golf & CC Doris Stoner, Hostess February 17 TPC Joanne Fillman, Hostess March 16 Plantation Golf & CC Doris Stoner, Hostess April 2 White Elephant Sale Florence Barker, Chair April 20 Heron Creek CC Carolyn Bowen, Hostess Over the years persons of faith during the season of Advent, have composed special prayers for the birth of Jesus, the celebration of God with us (Emmanuel). Perhaps for me the prayer of one Christian writer of an earlier generation said it all. His prayer was simply Thank You, God. Amen. What a wonderful prayer for us in the faith to pray each day as we once again make our journey to Bethlehem. In 2015, may we all use this prayer for our personal journey. Thank you, God for keeping your promise of sending your son to meet us, forgive us, and give to us new life and life anew. Jesus came to forgive each of us our sins, to meet us that we may through faith have peace with God. And in His coming and giving us new life we can live each day with a new heart of God s peace. So it is my prayer during this season of when in the midst of Christmas, Jesus was born may we each day simply pray Thank you God. Have a peaceful, full and glorious Christmas. Blessings Pastor Lewis SACRAMENT OF THE LORD S SUPPER December 6, 2015 Contemporary Service 9AM Traditional Service 10:30AM

3 P a ge 3 T rinity-tril ites D ecember 2015 Year End Giving Ideas... As you begin preparations for the holidays, have you included Trinity in your plans? We would like to remind you of the possible tax reduction option you might have if you own appreciated stock investments. Appreciated stock can be donated before the end of the year, eliminating capital gains on your tax return, and used as a charitable tax deduction to Trinity Church. Stocks can easily be sent directly from your broker to our Vanguard Account. For more information and to notify us of your plans, please contact Linda in the church office. Thank you for financial support throughout the year as together we do the Lord s work. Linda Singleton Finance Hungry for Systematic Bible Study? Pastor Chuck continues the Tuesday evening Bible Study series called INTO THE WORD. Held weekly at 7pm, this hour-long study is currently into First Corinthians. This systematic, in depth Bible Study involves verseby-verse teaching as well as robust discussion. Join us and bring your Bible! The Ladies Annual Christmas Tea will be held on Saturday, December 12th at 3:00pm. Tickets are $15/pp. The program theme is Follow The Star. We also need COOKIE BAKERS. If you can provide some cookies for the tea it would be greatly appreciated, talk with Diane Jansen ( ). Christmas Poinsettias There are still a few Christmas Poinsettias left to be sold. They can be purchased in Memory or Honor of loved ones. Stop by the Poinsettia on Sunday mornings or drop by the church office during the week. Plants are $7/each. PRAYER PARTNERS Prayer is an essential part of our daily lives as well as coming together to pray for each other, the church, community, and world. Our Prayer Partners meet every Wednesday morning at 9:30am in the Chapel. We share scripture, prayer concerns of our congregation, and give praise to God. Please consider joining us, for more information contact Barb Winsmore ( ) or Dee Jepsen ( ). FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS FELLOWSHIP Friends & Followers Small Group will begin a study of "Mere Christianity" by C.S.Lewis lead by Bill Gaydos on Monday, January 4, 6:30pm. The group meets the first and third Monday of the month. The first meeting will be held at the home of David and Sandi McQuiston, Pablo Picasso Drive, Englewood (The Enclave, off of Old Englewood Rd). Books for this study may be purchased through Amazon. If you have any questions, please call Sandi at NEEDED. One Gallon Jugs for Our Christmas Luminaries. Empty, clean jugs may be dropped off at the church office. Glory to God in the highest And on earth peace, good will Towards men. Luke 2:14

4 P a ge 4 T rinity-tril ites D ecember 2015 Coming to Trinity on January 16 DOANE COLLEGE CHOIR Doane College is a liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska. They have toured all over the United States and world. For more than a century, Doane choral groups have inspired audiences with performances of sacred and secular music. In more recent years, Doan Choir has enjoyed international acclaim as well. The 40 member choir will be performing a concert at Trinity on Thursday, January 21st at 7pm. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar, invite your friends and plan to attend. Doane College do not charge for their performances. They do ask that host churches provide lodging and meals for the students. So we will be asking the members of the congregation house a couple of students overnight and provide breakfast the following morning. If you have a spare room, please consider helping us out. For more details, contact Diane Jansen. You will hear more abut this event in the coming weeks. dinner for six Dinner for Six is an opportunity to become better acquainted with other folks in the church through evenings of sharing good food with one another. Dinner for Six meets on first Fridays of February, March, and April, three couples (thus the name, Dinner for six) will gather at the home of a designated host. The host couple provides the entrée and vegetable. The second couple brings the salad and dessert. The third couple is responsible for an appetizer, bread and the wine or other beverage. Contact Jacki Gaydos for details or to sign up. More information will be available after the first of the year. We look forward to another wonderful year. The Southern Gospel Group, The Triumphant Quartet will be in concert on Saturday, January 16th at 7PM. If you enjoy southern gospel, you won t want to miss this one. To listen to a sample of their music, go to youtube and type in their name. This concert is sponsored by Bill Bailey. We hope you will join us. LOOKING FOR A GREAT CRUISE? How about cruising the Southern Caribbean for eight nights January 6-14, 2017, on the MSC Divina and starting it off with your own balcony? You can't match this deal by booking on-line! Up until December 30, 2015, you can book a balcony at ocean view price, or an ocean view at inside cabin cost - you need to act before December 30, 2015, with a $100 per person ($200 per cabin) deposit with your reservation. Cost example: book a balcony (listed at $1,059), YOU PAY $899. Or, if you book an ocean view (list price, $899), YOU PAY $739. All rates are based on double occupancy. Departure is out of Miami and ports include Ochos Rio, Jamaica; Orangestad, Aruba; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Nassau, Bahamas; and three days at sea. For more information, contact Dick Conrad ( ) or Sue Conrad ( ); or dsconrad919@gmail.com.

5 P a ge 5 T rinity-tril ites D ecember 2015 Recent Happenings At Trinity Mere Christianity Join us in the New Year for this Church School Class that will be offered during the 9am Church School Hour each Sunday morning. FAMILY PROMISE: Just a few of the 58 volunteers who have stepped forward to make the FAMILY PROMISE ministry a reality at Trinity. During the Contemporary Service, Pastor Chuck and the elders set apart these folks by prayer and the laying on of hands for this servant ministry. C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity has been described as a book that gives you permission to be both intelligent and Christian, and the most important and effective defense of the Christian faith in its century. Millions of copies have been sold and many thoughtful inquirers have become Christians through its influence. The Class will begin on January 10 we will have a 9 Am Sunday Class for studying this Christian classic. The Rev. Bill Gaydos will facilitate this class. A BIG THANK YOU To Rev. Jim Sharp ORDINATION/INSTALLATION OF ELDERS AND DEACONS: At the Traditional Service November 29th, new officers were installed and/or ordained the six new deacons and four new elders are taking their vows as they begin their service. Pictured are: Grace Tucker, Jim Phillips, Kay Zion, Jerri Vinnenberg, Barry Watson, Jim Inglis, Jake Scheeres, Rick Morrow, Diane Jansen, and Stew Beyer. Most Favorite Roofer in the World!! Here we see our most favorite roofer in all the world Mr. Anthony Leonard of Englewood, climbing a 40 foot ladder to change lights in the sanctuary. Can you get any closer to heaven with the height of that ladder? Yikes! Our hearty thanks to Jim Sharp for leading the fall Christian Education Series on The Protestant Reformation with crisp teaching and robust discussion. The Class came away with a new appreciation of, The Five Solas. TRINITY OPERATES ON A FAITH BUDGET-- HAVE YOU STOOD WITH US YET FOR 2016? We are all aware of the pressing financial responsibilities Trinity Church has by continuing its many ministries. Did you know our congregation operates on a FAITH BUDGET and the only way they have of gauging our mission for the coming year is by FAITH COMMITMENT CARDS which are available in the pews (or at tables). You can stand with us in 2016 by turning in your commitment card. We thank you!

6 Trinity Presbyterian Church 4365 S.R. 776 Venice FL We re On The WEB Ph DECEMBER 27TH 10:00am The Sunday after Christmas, December 27th, we will hold one service in the Community Life Center.. This will be a special service of Lesson & Carols and the Word preached. This is a service celebrating the birth of Jesus. O Come, Let Us Adore Him! And Suddenly There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host Praising God and saying Glory to God In the highest, and on earth Peace, goodwill toward all people. Luke 2: The actual Day of Epiphany is January 6 and is observed on the Christian calendar in honor of the coming of the Magi to the infant Jesus Christ. We will be celebrating the Lord s Supper as well as candle-lighting during both services in honor of our Lord and Savior as the light of the world. Plan to join us on this first Sunday of the new year, January 3rd, 2016, Contemporary Service at 9am and the Traditional Service at 10:30am. THE MISSION of Trinity Church is to: INTRODUCE people to Jesus Christ, DEEPEN faith and make disciples, ENCOURAGE community, and PROVIDE opportunities to use our spiritual gifts both locally and throughout the world.