May is S.O.M.E Month!
Join us on May 17 at 7:30AM to cook.
Join us on May 18 at 8:30AM to deliver and serve the meal at
So Others May Eat in Washington, DC.
Participants are reminded to please contact Ann MacLeod at 540-592-3313 if you wish to join us in any capacity . We have 8 spots for cooks and 10 seats on the van for servers.
Thoughts about Easter 2019 and beyond
What an amazing experience it was to look back, from the front of the church, and see a “full house”! And not just full of you and me, but of children, grandchildren, friends, relatives and others we haven’t yet met.
What a wonderful experience it was to hear our organist, benefitting from a multi-year “tonal refinishing” of the organ, made possible by a grant from the Lambert Foundation and matching contributions from nearly two dozen parishioners, as he performed Louis Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster and the Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor’s Fifth Organ Symphony.
What a beautiful experience it was to have an exhibit of ancient works and contemporary art, curated by the collector of the ancient works and the artist of the contemporary art, to help worshipers and other visitors better “feel” the passage of the days of Holy Week and the services that accompanied them. And, what fun it was to see children searching for Easter eggs, helped along by our volunteers, our Rector, by families and friends, and even by a “life-size” Easter bunny.
It’s not too late to pledge, so if you haven’t yet indicated your intent to contribute to Trinity this year, please consider doing so now. There are pledge cards in the back of the church, but you can communicate in any way that’s convenient, including using the form available on Trinity’s website https://trinityupperville.org.
This year’s Easter at Trinity, from dawn to dusk, showed everyone present what a thriving church actually looks like. We are now within reach of achieving our Stewardship goal for 2019, and we are confident that next month’s Genesis will report that pledges have actually exceeded that goal.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Hurst Groves
Chair, Stewardship Committee
You are invited!
Walking the Way of Love: A Visual Prayer Journey
Opening Gallery Talk and Reception
The event begins Monday evening, April 15th at 7:00 pm with a reflection on the works by artist/collector Edward Kate Knippers. Introduction and comments provided by artist/curator Jerry L. Eisley.
The exhibit includes 9 art installations/stations accompanied by interpretive text that will be placed throughout the sanctuary. The artworks are created by a wide range of artists and craftsmen with themes on the life of Christ and faith of the church.
Join us for a reception immediately following the talk, across the street at "The Bridge," Trinity's Gulick House at 9105 John S. Mosby Highway 20185.
EXHIBITION: APRIL 15-20
Following our opening reception, the exhibit may be viewed Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, closing on Holy Saturday at noon. The visual prayer walk is available before and after Holy Week Services.:
Monday through Wednesday at Noon
Maundy Thursday at 7:30 pm
Good Friday at Noon and 7:30 pm
Please join us for celebratory services on Easter Sunday 2019! Find our services below:
Easter Day
Sunday, April 21
6:00 am Community Sunrise Service (Outdoor Chapel at Trinity Church)
8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I with special music and brass accompaniment
10:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II with special music and brass accompaniment
12:00 pm Easter Egg Hunt
Interested in what Trinity is doing during Holy Week? You can find all that information by CLICKING HERE.
Palm Sunday
April 14
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Luke
8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Both services will begin in the courtyard, weather permitting
April 15, April 16, April 17
12:00 pm Holy Eucharist
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 18
6:30 pm Agapé Supper
7:30 pm Holy Eucharist & Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday
Friday, April 19
12:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy
7:30 pm Good Friday Liturgy
Easter Day
Sunday, April 21
6:00 am Community Sunrise Service (Outdoor Chapel at Trinity Church)
8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite II
12:00 pm Easter Egg Hunt
Confirmation Class for 8th Grade Youth
Inquirers’ Class for Adults
In preparation for the visitation by Bishop Ted Gulick on May 12, for Confirmation, there will be two opportunities for reflection on the affirmation of our Christian faith. Youth in grades eight and above who wish to explore Confirmation will worship at the 8:00 am service and meet with the Interim Rector from 9:15-10:10 on Sunday mornings from March 31 through May 5, (except for Easter).
Those interested in the Adult Inquirers’ Class, please contact Rev. Ed Miller at emiller@trinityupperville.org or call the office at 540-592-3343. This discussion series is open to all.
Bishop Gulick will also join us on Sunday March 31, for a special forum at 9:30 to share his insights on Christian Initiation in the 21st Century. His reflections will be based in part on the Confirmation Project, a recently completed study on effective Confirmation programs for youth, sponsored by five Protestant denominations.
PCCC Annual Spaghetti Dinner & 50/50 Raffle
Friday, April 5th 4:30-6:30 pm
Join us for a spring themed night of fun at Trinity Episcopal Church
Dinner Admission:
Adults Eat In—$10
Carry Out—$8
Kids—$5
Children under 5 are free
Greetings from the Hunt Country Stable Tour Committee!
We are so excited to be near the 60th Anniversary of this event. Did you know that back in 1959 the first Stable Tour included four farms and a sneak preview of our current church sanctuary which was not in use until 1960?
Here we are as a congregation 60 years later and this wonderful community tradition is still a part of our fundraising effort for our Outreach work here at Trinity.
This year promises to be one of the best tours to date. We have ten outstanding farms who promise beauty and excitement for our tour goers this May. How can you help you ask? Well, you can give to our patron campaign, it’s the seed money that allows us to advertise and plan for the weekend, and more importantly, the net proceeds generated by your initial contribution are 100% of our Outreach Budget. Just go visit https://trinityupperville.org/stable-tour-donate, or get a patron card from our church. It’s as simple as that.
Mark your calendar for May 25 and 26. Join a volunteer team at one of our farms! It is such a fun experience and you will form friendships with church members and other volunteers as you serve the Lord in a completely unique experience. Farms are beginning to fill so reserve your farm early.
Just visit https://trinityupperville.org/become-a-volunteer or contact Jim Gemmer at jimdgem@gmail.com. The church will also have sign up sheets in Cox Hall the Sunday after Easter.
Help with advertisement! Do you know a business that would buy a small ad in our booklet or sponsor our maps? Contact Kat Gemmer at gemmerkathryn@gmail.com or pick up advertising brochures and forms in the church office.
We look forward to hearing from you all!
In Christ,
Kat
The first of Trinity’s three Easter services will take place at 6 AM at the Outdoor Chapel.
Those wishing to make their way to the Outdoor Chapel together should plan to meet in the church parking lot at about 5:50 to walk to the Outdoor Sanctuary together with Ed. Please bring a flashlight as it will still be dark. If you are concerned about walking to the Outdoor Sanctuary, the Trinity van will be available to transport you to the service. The van will depart the church parking lot at 5:55 AM on Easter Sunday.
Our worship service begins at the Council Ring where the fire will welcome worshippers, and our prayers begin. After we light the Paschal candle, the congregation will process to the cross for the rest of the worship, and hopefully will greet the rising sun. The service consists of readings, songs and a homily. Communion will be celebrated at the 8 AM and 10:30 AM services only.
Please invite your friends and neighbors to this service, as it is a great opportunity to encourage ecumenical community worship. Also, after the service has been concluded, please feel welcome to return to the council ring and linger by the fire for coffee, hot chocolate, juice, donuts and Easter fellowship.
He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!
We had a most successful visit to SOME in March and are already looking ahead to our May 17, 2019 trip to DC. We will cook the day before, Thursday, May 16, 2019.
Participants are reminded to please contact Ann MacLeod if you wish to join us in any capacity at 540-592-3313. We have 8 spots for cooks and 10 seats on the van for servers.
The Outreach Committee and the SOME team are ever grateful for all of your support.. We are switching tactics a bit and invite the congregation to participate in another way. Our guests appreciate consistency, therefore we will attempt to stick with a single dessert of chocolate cake and whipped cream and a corn bread side dish, all secured from our food service provider. We intend to stick with our popular meal, voted the best by SOME staff, battered fish with tartar sauce, rice casserole, green beans, coleslaw, milk and the aforementioned cake and corn bread.
We welcome your contributions and encourage you to donate pre-packaged, take-away treats, such as fruit snacks, “Little Debbie” pastries, protein bars, breakfast bars, individual bags of nut mix - anything that comes apportioned and ready to hand out.
As you are probably aware, SOME serves 365 breakfast and lunches daily, however there is no dinner, which is why we like to give something to our guests to take with them to tide them over until their next meal. We will be providing small baggies and intend to wrap up any bulk items individually. This being said, if someone wants to donate 300 apples, we will get them into DC and have them ready for carry out. Rest assured, your food will be served and will be adored. We receive so many, many compliments at every visit.
Thank you again for all your efforts and prayers.
Have Easter flowers placed in the church in honor of or in memory of a loved one this Easter. Please enclose your contribution with this form ( for checks, be sure to write “Easter Flowers” in the memo line). Contact the church office or complete an order form during service and place it in the offering plate no later than April 14th.
This Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019, you will receive a different type of palm. The church has invested in a product called “EcoPalm”. Unlike the strip palms you normally receive, this year’s palm will be a frond as shown in the picture. Purchasing this product provides several benefits
Promote Social Justice
Harvesting palms is an important source of income but gatherers receive a low price
Gatherers will receive a higher price for their “fair trade” palms improving their income.
Promote Environmental Stewardship
Palms protect valuable natural forests because they provide income to forest communities.
Palms will be “sustainably” harvested and managed protecting the palms and the forests they need for shade.
Why a "Fair Trade" Palm?
To improve income and living conditions for the communities gathering the palm.
To protect the palms and the important forests from which they are gathered through sustainable harvest programs.
Did You Know?
Approximately 308 million palm fronds were consumed in the United States in 1998.
Palm purchases for Palm Sunday may be worth up to 4.5 million dollars/year.
A congregation of 1,100 to 1,500 members will order approximately 700 palm fronds for Palm Sunday services.
Palm gathering actually protects valuable natural forests.
At least half of the farmers in the Central Peten of Guatemala earn additional income from harvesting fronds and, more than a quarter of household heads support themselves exclusively by collecting fronds.
Each palm plant produces 2 to 5 harvestable leaves over a 2 to 4 month period.
Join us on Palm Sunday and know that your palm frond has been sustainably harvested and provided important income to the farmers.
With Spring just around the corner, we want to acknowledge new growth and rebirth in several aspects of our life at Trinity Church in Upperville. Thanks to several parishioners who have taken the laboring oar, our Sunday school program for the Lenten season is up and running. The parents and teachers who have participated in this revitalization, with the eager support of our Interim Rector Ed Miller, are a cause for rejoicing. Our Christian education program for youth is being resurrected as well. We are grateful for the support of all participants in this critical part of life at Trinity, especially Melanie Hitchen, Lisa White, and Sheila Harrell.
As you are keenly aware, our 60th Annual Hunt Country Stable Tour is a mere two months away. Kat Gemmer’s team has lined up eleven farms for the Tour. It is always a fun event for our visitors but also it is the lifeblood of our growing Outreach to the community. We urge everyone to volunteer your time and treasure to ensure the Stable Tour is a magnificent success.
Under the chairmanship of Matt Blunt, the Discernment Committee formed by the Vestry to identify a permanent Rector has begun its work. We will apprise you of this work as the committee moves forward. Soon, parishioners will have an important opportunity to help the Discernment Committee develop a profile of our Christian community by responding to a thoughtful and confidential survey. We would very much like to see 100% participation.
Through the efforts of the Committee, Trinity will ‘put its best foot forward’ in attracting Rector candidates. Our website, our internal communications, our management systems, and our financial profile are among the ways we communicate the vitality of the Church. We are happy to report that the Church has made important strides recently in these respects, again with Ed’s support and direction.
The Church’s internet security is being upgraded. Staff’s aging desktops, printers, and the Rector’s laptop are being replaced or upgraded. Once the new devices arrive and are set up, we will deploy Office365 across all staff devices. Campus internet signal strength, speed, and security are being addressed. We are turning our attention to improving our database and hope to organize it in ways that better serve our missions. Over the coming year, everyone should experience better communications and outreach capabilities. With God’s help, these initiatives will be in place by the end of Spring.
As many of you know, our database and our member guide need to be unified and updated. Our Junior Warden appeals to everyone to help correct the problem. If you, a group, or a committee you are involved in has member lists with contact information, please send that information to Di, our Parish Administrator and please use “Member List” as the subject line of your email.
All the systems currently being improved will ensure that we can carry out our Christian mis-sion and our ministries effectively. Christian Education, The Stable Tour, Outreach, and innumerable other ministries depend on this infrastructure, and we depend on you, the faithful members of Trinity Church.
Blessings,
Jim Hoecker, Sr. Warden
Sandy Diday, Jr. Warden
It was traditional in many societies to clear our cupboards of foods made with butter, eggs and fat that would be given up during the Lenten season. However, may we offer an alternative suggestion, use those ingredients to make cookies. We don’t need them until April 7th but they can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Please make each cookie with prayer. These cookies help open hearts to repentance and forgiveness and an awareness of God’s vast love.
Bake any recipe you would like, but please keep in mind that if we are to take each and every cookie into the institution, we need to follow certain guidelines.
This means that specific ingredients cannot be used. When baking, please remember:
NO raisins or other dried fruit or coconut
NO toppings such as sugar, decorations or icing
NO candy such as M&Ms
NO nuts
YES to chocolate and butterscotch chips
COOL COOKIES completely before placing them in 1 quart zip lock bags
Cookies should be approximately 2 to 2 1/2 inches in size.
12 cookies per quart size ziplock bag
Please indicate the type of cookie on each bag
We need 100 dozen cookies so feel free to start baking now and put them in your freezer.
Questions? Please call Cheri Martin @ 540-837-1774
All cookies need to be here by Sunday, April 7th.
Mark your Calendars!
This year, 2019, marks the 60th Anniversary of our treasured annual tradition - the Trinity Episcopal Church Hunt Country Stable Tour. It will be held on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 25th and May 26th from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
As always, all proceeds go directly to the Outreach program here at Trinity, supporting various missions including S.O.M.E., Helping Haitian Angels, and Piedmont Child Care Center, to name a few.
This is an amazing congregation-wide event, with everyone in the parish participating. So mark your calendars and when the signup sheets go up in Cox Hall, pick out your favorite farm and spend a wonderful day visiting with guests and teaching them about the farm and Trinity Church. If you want to be part of this momentous event call Kat Gemmer at 540-338-7130 or email gemmerkathryn@gmail.com.
Join our celebration with your early commitment to support this historic Memorial Day tradition.
Every Friday during Lent, beginning on March 8, the church will be lit from dusk until 9pm to welcome and invite passersby to end their week with reflection and prayer..
Parishioners have noticed that Trinity receives visitors when the Church is lit in the evening and we want to encourage those in our community as well as commuters from surrounding areas to stop by and experience our sacred space.
Friday, March 22, 2019
7: 30 PM
Musicians and the general public alike have a special opportunity on March 22 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville to hear an outstanding performer on an outstanding pipe organ. CLARA GERDES, the award-winning organist, will play works by Reubke, Hakim. Dupre and others. The program is designed to feature the talent of this exceptionally gifted virtuoso and to feature Trinity Church's recent tonal revision and regulation of the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ.
The recital is free with a suggested donation of $10. Inquiries should be made to Dr. Steven Cooksey at scooksey@su.edu or to the chapter's web site at WAGO. org
Ms. Gerdes website is www.claragerdes.com
