Dear Trinity Community,

This Saturday, we will gather to celebrate the life of Toast Balassa-Reed, a member of our choir community.

Saturday, September 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Livestream link: https://www.trinitynewhaven.org/toast-balassareed

Toast began as a chorister 8 years ago, and was planning to continue singing in the Schola after graduating from the Chorister program this spring. They loved Latin poetry, their Hungarian roots, and the Trinity choirs. Trinity’s retired Music Director Walden Moore shares, “In addition to their musical gifts, Toast was an example of strength and resilience in their time with the Choir - we will remember them with fondness and are indeed grateful for the time they were with us.” Please keep Toast and their family in your prayers: mother Judit, father Peter, and older sister Anna.

LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS!

Online Hymn Study: 7pm EST, Mondays of September 22 and 29; October 6 and 13.

Join members of participating churches* in an ONLINE hymn study the four weeks preceding the Festival. The text, The Church Sings Its Faith by Dr. Robert Mann is FREE to registrants from participating congregations*. Register here!

September 22 – Introduction to the Hymnal (Ch. 1 & 2): Josh Ehlebracht (St. Paul’s, Norwalk) and Kevin Bailey (First Presbyterian, Stamford), leaders

September 29 – Reformed Traditions (Ch. 5 & 6): Nathan Lively (St. John’s Lutheran, Stamford)

October 6 – Anglican/Episcopal streams (Ch. 8): Simon Lee (Trinity on the Green, New Haven)

October 13 – American Hymnody (Ch. 7, 9, 10): Josh Ehlebracht (St. Paul’s, Norwalk)

REGISTRATION INCLUDES ALL FOUR SESSIONS! Click here to register.

Register by September 15 to insure arrival of text by September 22. Registration is open anytime prior and during the class.

The culmination of this course is a hymn festival which will be held at St. Paul's on the Green Episcopal Church, Norwalk on Saturday, October 18th at 5pm. Our own Parish Choir will be travelling down to sing and all members of the Trinity community are invited. 

Trinity Home Board Fall Luncheon:

Celebrating the History of Our New Haven Green

Wednesday, October 8

New Haven Country Club, 160 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden
12:30pm - Cocktail Hour (Cash Bar)
1pm - Lunch, followed by a screening of The New Haven Green: Heart of a City (30 minutes)

RSVP to Kate Walton (katejwalton@gmail.com) by Sept. 28, specifying your meal choice:
  > Grilled NY Sirloin
  > Herb Crusted Cod
  > No Noodle Butternut Squash Lasagna (V/GF)

Home Board events are for people 62 and older. Event is free, though contributions up to $45 are welcome to support the ongoing mission of the Home Board to provide support to aging people in our community.

A day off from work or school? Join your church friends for something fun on a Blessed Day Off! All ages welcome; grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, too! Contact Angela with questions or to RSVP: Family@TrinityNewHaven.org. 

Mark your calendars for these dates and activities (based on Hamden and New Haven School Calendars):

2025

• Monday, Oct. 13, Indigenous People's Day: Blessing of the Animals and snacks at Brooksvale Farm, Hamden.

• Saturday, Nov. 1: Powwow at the Yale Native American Cultural Center, New Haven.

• Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day: Craft-time at Bethesda Lutheran Church; we're creating items to sell at the Christmas Market.

2026

• Tuesday, January 6, Three Kings Day: Lunch and tour of the international Creche exhibit at the Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven. Open just for us!

• Monday, February 16, President's Day: Lunch served at Best Video in Hamden while we watch "Max 2: White House Hero."

• Friday, March 20, Eid al-Fitr: You and a friend enjoy lunch while Trinity entertains and feeds the kids.

• Friday, April 2, Good Friday: Trinity's Holy Week Prayer Walk for children and adults.

Sunday, October 5 at 11:45am in the Undercroft

As a capstone to the Season of Creation (Sept 1-Oct 4), special coffee hour guests Gayle Boss and Sharon Spitz will speak about their book All Creation Waits, a beautiful reflection on faith and creation in the coldest months (a great Advent gift!). This illustrated book of Advent reflections is written in two versions: one for adults, and one for children. Copies of both versions of the book will be available for purchase that day. Questions? Email Angela Arpino (family@trinitynewhaven.org).

Trinity Knitting Ministry meets on Sunday, September 28th in the Undercroft after the 10:30 service. Join us for fun, food and fellowship to make items for the Holiday Bazaar. New members are welcome and supplies are provided as are lessons for those who are interested in learning to knit. Please contact Gloria Hoda (gloria.hoda@gmail.com) or Candy Carl-Stannard (pcstannard@att.net) if you have any questions.

Trinity Book Group is holding its start of year potluck on Sunday, September 21st at 1pm at the Briggs Home in New Haven. Timing will allow members to attend the Coffee Hour presentation after church in the undercroft by the Stroups about the work their non-profit KHCI is doing for schools and libraries in Kenya. The book we will be discussing is Orbital by Samantha Harvey. A short novel about six astronauts rotating for 24 hours in their space station. They are so far above the earth but have never felt more part or protective of it. They begin to ask: what is life without earth; and what is earth without humanity? If you wish to attend the lunch or discussion, please contact Jenny Briggs (jenniferobriggs@gmail.com).

Spirit Quests' 8-12 year-olds are raising funds so that we can make and serve a hot lunch to 125 parishioners at Chapel on the Green in January. Can you donate something for one of our raffle baskets? Choose a theme you like and donate one or two items or a gift card for that basket:

• Winter Sips (hot cocoa, coffee, tea, and related items)

• Game Day (toys and board games for all ages)

• Baker's Delight (baking utensils, mixes, ingredients, etc.)

• Words of God (Bible/religious items, ornaments, inspirational book, etc.)

Angela and Questers will be collecting items in the Narthex now through Sept. 25. Thank you!

We are thrilled to welcome Clarke Mortensen as our new seminarian. Clarke Valencia Mortensen is a second year M.Div. student at Yale Divinity school and a postulant to the priesthood from the diocese of Ohio. A Midwesterner born and bred, she has lived all over Ohio, as well as Kansas City. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2020 with a degree in English, but after graduation worked in all kinds of places, from campus ministry to a farm. Her wife Dani and two dogs keep her home life full of adventure and joy. Welcome, Clarke!

Last week, Morning Meditation returned after a summer hiatus. Continuing this week, we will again join online via zoom to meditate together for 20 minutes. We typically use the Centering Prayer method for meditation, but everyone is free to do what feels best to them. Starting the day with a period of interior silence in which we allow the Divine to be closer to our souls than we ourselves are, sets a deep intentional way for the day to unfold. All are welcome. We meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 am.

Any questions? Call Lilian Revel at 203-858-1243.

Here is the zoom link.

Meeting ID: 846 3363 3168

Passcode: 019925

Choristarters starts a new year on September 10 at 4:30 PM. This group is open to all children aged between 4 and 8 years old. It is non-auditioned and offers children a chance to explore music making through game songs, Kodály-based activities as well as developing their singing voice. Sessions are 45 minutes long and free. For more information, please contact Simon Lee, our Director of Music (slee@trinitynewhaven.org) 

In regards to the presentation of the interfaith group this past week, a parishioner brought up the fact that the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which has been in existence for thirty years and is a highly respected charity, is working to get seriously injured children to safe places for medical care.  Go to pcrf.net to donate. 

Educators, Students, School Staff: Join us Aug. 24

Head back to school with love and prayers from our church community! Join us on Sunday, Aug. 24, at our 10:30 AM Service where we'll bless you and some of the school supplies we've collected for Kenyan students. Children are invited to be readers, musicians, singers, ushers. Contact Angela for more information: Family@TrinityNewHaven.org. Click this link to donate to the School Supply Drive via the Amazon Wish List:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1N8T90YG81UVM/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

On Sunday, September 28 during our 10:30am service, we will bless and pray for those who have chosen to become a member of our community over the past year.

Let us know if you have recently decided to call Trinity your home, and would like to join this moment of prayer in the service. Since this is the first time we have offered this kind of blessing in recent years, we encourage participation from anyone who has started worshipping with us in the past two years, or who has renewed their commitment to this community. Email Rev. Heidi (hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org) if you are interested, or would like to discern more about this opportunity.

What does it mean to be a member of Trinity? Read more on our website here: https://www.trinitynewhaven.org/welcome

The Season of Creation, September 1 through October 4, is celebrated by Christians around the world as a time for renewing, repairing, and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation.

At Trinity, we will mark this season with additional prayers on Sundays, during the Prayers of the People.

You are also invited to sign up to receive daily devotions from Province One EcoRegion, including information about the species and a reflection on how their life informs the writer’s image of God and a prayer. Trinity’s own Lilian Revel has contributed a devotional in this year’s series!

Do you like to bake cookies? We do too! Join us on Saturday, September 27 from 9:00 am - noon as we bake cookies in the Trinity Undercroft. These cookies give us a head start for the famous Christmas Market Cookie Walk. Recipes and instructions are provided, come join in the fun. Contact gloria.hoda@gmail.com for more information.

Dear Trinity Community,

We write with great sadness to share the news of the death of a member of our choir community, Toast Balassa-Reed.

Toast began as a chorister 8 years ago, and was planning to continue singing in the Schola after graduating from the Chorister program this spring. They loved Latin poetry, their Hungarian roots, and the Trinity choirs. Trinity’s retired Music Director Walden Moore shares, “In addition to their musical gifts, Toast was an example of strength and resilience in their time with the Choir - we will remember them with fondness and are indeed grateful for the time they were with us.” Please keep Toast and their family in your prayers: mother Judit, father Peter, and older sister Anna.

While every loss is full of grief, we recognize that this is a particularly challenging loss as it touches many of the youngest people in our community. Know that our choir staff and pastoral care team are always available for further prayer and conversation. There will be a private prayer vigil for members of our choir community this week; we will keep the community posted about future plans for a memorial to celebrate Toast’s life.

God of hope, we come to you in shock and grief and confusion of heart, as we mourn the death of our friend and community member Toast. Help us to find peace in the knowledge of your loving mercy to all your children, and give us light to guide us out of our darkness into the assurance of your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Join the Friends of the Green on July 26 and August 30 for Clean the Green. For these two summer dates, we’ll meet at 9 am (to beat the heat) and pick up trash to show our care for the Green and the New Haven community.

We’re collecting school supplies for parishioners Ralph and Mary Ann Stroup’s nonprofit which serves children, schools, and libraries in Kenya. All ages are welcome to participate! We’ll collect supplies from Aug. 1 to Sept. 21 then we’ll hear what the supplies will do for Kenyan students at a future Coffee Hour. All ages welcome! Donations can be brought to church OR delivered through the Amazon Wish List:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1N8T90YG81UVM/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Presented by Trinity’s Children, Youth and Family Ministry.

Ever wondered what it's like to be in our choir? Now's your chance to find out! Whilst our choir is on their summer break, we will be having a mixture of music to lead our worship. No sign-up is necessary, just turn up on one of the dates below and find out what its all about! Dress smart and for the hot weather; we will not be wearing choir robes. 

 Remaining dates:
August 10 & 24
September 7

We will meet at 9:30 to rehearse an easy anthem, which we will then sing during the 10:30 Eucharist.

Any questions, talking to our Director of Music, Simon Lee (slee@trinitynewhaven.org). All are welcome!