Newsletter
Dear Friends,
With spring officially upon us and with the life of Trinity Heights Church in mind, I can’t help but think that we as a community have entered into a season of new beginnings. Now officially settled into our new space near the top west corner of Central Park, it feels that we’ve found a place to both grow and hone our focus as a Community of Christians and Skeptics Exploring the Christian Narrative Together.
And, of course that’s me shamelessly borrowing from our tagline, but often I think it’s important, especially with new seasons and the shifting and growing of Trinity Heights, that we remind ourselves every now and then what we’re about.
Why do we at Trinity Heights Church embrace the fact that we worship specifically as a Community of Christians and Skeptics? And, how does that even work? Don’t communities of faith require and rely on agreement? Can people of faith and doubt, live alongside each other in harmony? Can we worship together? Share meals together and participate in the ups and downs of each other’s lives?
Well, lucky for us, Jesus himself preached a gospel of unity before agreement. He didn’t spend three years with his disciples and followers working to get them to agree on everything. Rather, he taught them about a new kind of unity, one that he himself embodied, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” - John 13:34
In fact, when we look back at Jesus’ own community and read the stories written in the New Testament about his disciples, close friends, his family and the crowds that followed him, we begin to realize that Jesus himself only ever had a Community of Christians and Skeptics. His followers were from all walks of life, different belief backgrounds, different political allegiances, different religions and different ethnicities. They were filled with doubts and questions, belief and unbelief. In fact, they were the very first Community of Christians and Skeptics and they, by no means, agreed on everything. But, they did share one thing in common, they were compelled by the person of Jesus and intrigued by his message of hope.
So this spring, let’s remember that as a diverse church community, God is with us and for us and has called us to be with and for each other. Understanding that the unity of Christ exists right from the start, before we agree on anything. The peace that Jesus declares is a peace that we share between ourselves immediately and instantaneously, whenever we decide to be with each other and participate in the ups and downs of each other’s lives. Whether that’s over brunch, a conversation over coffee or worshiping together each Sunday morning, side-by-side.
Because, if we’re ever going to fully understand the good news of Jesus, the first move has to be towards each other. He has restored us to himself and reconciled us back together and that’s what this whole gospel thing, this whole good news thing is all about.
Blessings,
Eric
New Location
We’ve settled in nicely to our new space on 315 W 110th Street. It’s amazing to be just off the upper west corner of Central Park and seconds away from Cafe Amrita’s.
This new location has been an exciting change for us as we continue to meet for brunch at 11am, with worship beginning at 11:30 am sharp, followed by a short reflection and capped off with a time of group discussion.
We close each service with open discussion, and invite others to contribute their thoughts and respond to the message that’s just been presented. This has become an integral part of our Sunday service format, functioning as a welcome into the ongoing narration of the Christian story that runs at the heart of Trinity Heights Church.
The Prophetic Imagination
For eight weeks this season, we’ve been in a reflection series titled The Prophetic Imagination exploring how the Biblical tradition of the prophet is often misunderstood.
At first glance, ideas about prophets and prophecy may illicit images of wild, bearded individuals shouting messages of doom from the wilderness.
However, when we look more closely at what the prophetic tradition actually entails it becomes clear that...
The prophetic voice speaks from a place of endless imagination and creativity.
The prophetic voice stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing consciousness of the dominant community.
The prophetic voice speaks into the present moment with a contemporary fluency that ultimately points to a new freedom and a new future.
So, how might we as a church work to foster true creativity, develop robust imaginations and deliberately hone our prophetic voice?
Understanding that, The Prophetic Imagination is fostered in the margins by communities and individuals who look at the injustices around them and long for a better world. To listen to the complete series of the Prophetic Imagination, check out our podcast below.
Community Groups
This past season two community groups have been meeting regularly. One at the home of Raf and Keri Landeiro and the other online. Both groups meet to discuss various parts of the BEMA Podcast with the online discussion group currently in the New Testament and Raf and Keri’s dinner group making their way through the Recap of Torah.
As a wider church community, we’ve also been meeting for a number of other gatherings including a Women’s Breakfast Club hosted by Emily Bradley and Men’s Drinks Night hosted by Stephen and Eric at Cafe Amrita.
Serving Opportunities
Children’s Ministry
Trinity Heights Church is committed to serving the youngest members of our community and it has been a joy to see our Children’s Ministry settle into our new location.
Our Children’s Ministry serves kids 10 and under who are invited to meet in the downstairs playroom after the worship portion of the service.
Podcast
Check out the podcast episodes below that form what we’ve come to call the Trinity Heights Church ‘Three.’ As a group, these teachings paint a picture of the vast story that we as the community of Trinity Heights hope to inhabit - the story of God’s intervention on behalf of humanity.
Check out the podcast episodes below that form what we’ve come to call the Trinity Heights Church ‘Three.’ As a group, these teachings paint a picture of the vast story that we as the community of Trinity Heights hope to inhabit - the story of God’s intervention on behalf of humanity.
Giving
At Trinity Heights Church, we don’t pass an offering plate and this is deliberate. As a community of Christians and Skeptics, we never want there to be the underlying subtext that to be a meaningful part of our community you absolutely must give. That’s just not what we’re about.
That being said, Trinity Heights Church is looking to settle into new levels of financial sustainability and that’s where you come in. If you feel that the inclusive posture of our community is important, and you would like to contribute to the ongoing work of Trinity Heights Church, please consider partnering with us financially below.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated.