Weekly Update September 22, 2021

September 22, 2021
We would love to put together a Trinity table!!

Please see below!!
Crossroads Mission invites you to come and celebrate at their 2021 Anniversary Jubilee fundraiser on October 16, 2021.It will take place at Britain’s Farm – 4330 W. Riverside Dr.Doors open at 5:30 pm.It will feature grilled tri-tip and chicken dinner with all the trimmings and dessert.Tickets are $60.00
Tables are $450.00 and sit up to 8 people.We would love to have at least one full table of Trinity people there!  Please contact the church office if you would like to be part of it.**We also don’t want cost to be a hurdle – Trinity would be happy to sponsor or help with tickets.  Please let the office know if you are interested.**Entertainment will be presented by the Yuma Big Band!All proceeds will benefit the construction of a new Men’s Center.Please contact the church office to purchase your tickets!Click HERE to view the flyer with more details.  
DO YOU REGULARLY SHOP AT AMAZON??Did you know your purchases can benefit Trinity??That’s right, shop at smile.amazon.com, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization – no fees, no extra cost.Simply go to smile.amazon.com and log in with your regular account or create an account to get started.  Then, when asked which charity you would like to support, search for Trinity United Methodist Church in Yuma.  Every time you shop Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com and the donation will automatically be made, no extra steps! (Amazon will even remind you if you forget and go to their regular site.)Thanks for your continued support!
 

Crossroads Mission is currently in need of:
– men’s underwear
– deodorant (men’s and women’s)
– shampoo
– men’s large clothing (3X and above)Monetary donations can be sent to the church, placed in an offering envelope, or made through the giving kiosk
(please designate Crossroads Mission)  Reminders concerning  the pandemic…

Dear Friends,
 
First, I want to express my appreciation for the time away I recently experienced.  It has been a long time since I felt that my vacation time was truly a time of renewal.  Even driving almost 1,900 miles was not dreary.  I experienced beautiful scenery and the majesty of God’s creation in Northern Arizona, Northern New Mexico, and I even appreciated the beauty of the drive from New Mexico back to Arizona.  I experienced good times with colleagues and friends.  Even though I took my laptop computer along, I think I only turned in on twice – once to watch the Trinity Sunday Service, and another to respond to an email as a group of Trinity laity were planning for Laity Sunday, October 17th.  It was truly a time of rest and renewal, and I am grateful.Second, as I was reading the material for Monday’s Wired Word Bible Study, I was struck by the topic for this week:  Too Much, In A Funk and Losing Hope: Struggling Under the Weight of Daily Bad News.  On Sunday, one of the regular participants in the bible study commented, “I’m not sure I’m going to do tomorrow’s study.  I read the material and it just seems like too much.”
In our material for the study, Rev. Mark Parsons, wrote, “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling weary and frustrated these days with the increasingly dangerous Covid situation here in our area. And that says nothing of the weight I feel about the unrest in Afghanistan (and the ugliness of people arguing) or the hurricanes, floods and wildfires in our country.”  Parsons admitted that all the “bad news at hand” was bringing him down. “I’m just in a funk,” he said. “These are not the best of days.”I’m not sure where Rev. Parsons is from, but I am similarly concerned about the dangerous COVID situation in the Yuma area.  Last week Yuma county saw 259 new positive cases of COVID, with over 40 people hospitalized each day and four new deaths attributed to COVID.  This is alarming and can be overwhelming.One of the verses of scripture that our Wired Word study looked at in relation to this topic was 2 Timothy 1: 7 where we read, … for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 
Rev. Parsons went on to quote the verse above, noting that other translations appropriately substitute the word “fear” for “cowardice.” “The point is the same,” Parsons said. “We don’t have to live in fear because God has given us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.” Parsons said, “These days, some are quoting only the first part of this verse to justify their complete disregard for the overwhelming proof that vaccines, masks and social distancing save lives. But if we stop with the first part of the verse, we miss the full message.“The second part is equally, if not more, important,” Parsons said. “We don’t have to live in fear because God has given us a better spirit, one marked by power, love and self-discipline. We have power in these dark days because we are not alone: God is with us. We have love in these days because God has shown us how to love one another even in the rough times. We have self-discipline in these days because God empowers us to make wise decisions for the well-being of self and others. No matter what we face, God’s spirit is within us, shaping us more and more into the likeness of Christ Jesus and giving us all we need to get through these difficult days.” As I was traveling during my vacation, I noticed how most of the folk in Arizona were going on as if the COVID pandemic was over.  While in New Mexico, most everyone was wearing masks.  This was a reminder to me that the danger from the coronavirus is not past but is ever-present.  I also had a friend test positive recently even though he had been vaccinated and was being very cautious.You might recall that several weeks ago I suggested in my Sunday morning announcements that the cases were rising, and I encouraged folk to wear masks.  Through e-mail exchanges, the Leadership Council has decided not to require individuals to wear masks or enforce physical distancing.  Many are choosing to wear masks, while others have trouble breathing or find masks to be a distraction from their worship experience. Some of our congregants choose to remain distant from others, while others feel comfortable being closer to others. I am pleased that we have been able to return to in-person worship while we continue to make our service available live on-line and post recorded worship video shortly after the service ends.  If you have not yet checked out one of our recorded worship services, I would encourage you to do that by going to YouTube and search for “Trinity United Methodist Church Yuma” and you will find our YouTube channel:

Trinity United Methodist Church – Yuma, ArizonaPlease clink on the “SUBSCRIBE” link so that our subscriber number grows.As we continue to travel through the pandemic, may we focus on the second part of Timothy’s message, 
God has given us a better spirit, one marked by power, love and self-discipline, and may we continue to grow as responsible Christians.
 
Best blessings,
 
Pastor Bob

Lay Servant Ministries – Link for NEW classes below!We hope you will consider joining the growing number of our Trinity family who are benefiting from these enriching courses on ways you can actively serve Jesus in our community and congregation! Trinity can even help with registration and book costs.Please click HERE to learn about upcoming classes:September 2021 – “Living Our United Methodist Beliefs – Heritage”
October 2021 – “Aging and Ministry in the 21st Century”
November 2021 – “Children of Abraham”
November 2021 – “Basic Class in Spanish”
NEW – JANUARY 2022 – “Called to Preach” with Pastor David Harriss of Gila Mountain UMC, right here in Yuma!To register for the classes go to:
https://dscumc.org/lay-servant-ministries-training-sessions/If you have questions, you may contact the church office or reach out to:
Betty Stewart
West District Director Lay Servant Ministries
bettyboop491@cox.net Cell # 480-658-7713 
 

STUDY AND FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT TRINITY!! Sunday Morning Fellowship LITE
Sunday mornings following worship – approximately 10:45 a.m. in Morris Hall
Join us after worship for casual conversation and catching up!Serendipity Sunday School
Ongoing lessons/conversation via email
Contact the church office to be added to the group!  Wired Word Bible Study with Pastor Bob
Monday afternoons at 1:00 pm ZOOM LINK:
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/98645869894?pwd=Vjgvak9YdWlKUlJBQTAwQnFJSzZ1QT09OR CALL: 877 853 5257
MEETING ID: 986 4586 9894  passcode 3030
 Koffee With Karen Fellowship
Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am ZOOM LINK:
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/95302162442?pwd=NjdOc1RwTGI4aGRjdlVwR2pvMVNSUT09OR CALL: 877 853 5257
MEETING ID: 953 0216 2442  passcode 3030Thursday Women’s Bible Study
Thursday mornings at 9:30 am ZOOM LINK:
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/94337635832?pwd=czUvN3RjQVhUMytMMStLckpLWmhOdz09OR CALL: 877 853 5257
MEETING ID: 943 3763 5832  passcode 3030
NEW TO USING ZOOM?  Please contact the church office for pointers. 

The church office is now OPEN TO THE PUBLIC on a limited basis.  Mondays through Thursdays, the church office will now be open to the public 9:00 a.m. to noon.  We are also happy to set an appointment if you would like to come in to the office at a different time; please call 928-344-3013 to set up an appointment.
 
Please submit your
Prayer Requests to
office@TrinityYuma.org
or call 928.344.3013 x303
and leave a message.

You can still watch the Welcoming Service!The conference apologizes for any technical
difficulties you may have had on Saturday, September 18 with the Welcome Service for District Superintendent Rev. Javier Olivares. Fortunately, the service was recorded and is now available for your viewing. It was a beautiful service celebrating the West District and Rev. Olivares. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to watch the service and worship. The service is available on Vimeo below.https://vimeo.com/593843050.
Share This