Gathering Hymn – O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus

Trinitarian Congregational Church Guiding Principles for the Ministry Year 2024-2025 Ministry Theme: Return and Rest Theme Song: "Another In The Fire" by Hillsong UNITED (video below) Key verse: “Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 This ministry year we embark on a journey into the depths of the Gospel according to the Book of Isaiah. Some people have called Isaiah “the fifth gospel” because of its profound impact on the gospels (“the suffering servant” of Isaiah 53) and the rest of the New Testament. Isaiah’s call to rest in the Lord in the challenges of life, whether existential, physical or emotional (or all of the above) rings so true today! In an election year and a world in turmoil, the prophet, empowered by the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 1:21) asks us: Who do you trust? Your “chariots and horses” (Isaiah-speak for our own resourcefulness), “Egypt” (=political parties, elected officials, ideologies)? To know who you trust will inevitably be tested in these troubling times but here is the promise: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-2). The goal and the prayer for TCC this year is that Isaiah’s call (“Here I am! Send me.”) will spark our own call to “dream big” (“they shall declare my glory to the nations” 66:19). World evangelization and preaching the gospel to our neighbors are impossible tasks, but we serve a God that is far greater than we can ever imagine, for whom nothing is impossible. As to the how this can be done, Isaiah is convinced that the power of God’s Word draws people in, not marketing strategies or fancy programming (is this what the American church trusts today? Isaiah would be sure to ask us!). Instead, it’s the Word alone that serves as the attractional pull and He (the Word is Jesus Himself) never returns empty (Isaiah 2:1-4; 40:8; 55:1). This year we commit ourselves to returning and resting in Him and His Word. In an age where the proclamation and application of Scripture is increasingly deemed irrelevant, if not viewed downright offensive, we instead put the Spirit and the Word at the center of everything we do. Such a commitment to the sufficiency of the Word of God will inevitably demand we cut back on certain things and add others. We are committing ourselves to resetting priorities to bring the good news to our neighbors (“for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” 11:9). We are the hands and feet of Jesus; so these “boots [or feet] are made for walkin'…” (“How beautiful are the feet of him/her who brings good news…who declares ‘our God reigns” 55:7)! Growth Groups This year we are launching a brand-new program of discipleship and outreach. To fulfill our mission for intentional biblical witness and discipleship at TCC, we are implementing a semester-based small-group format that runs in the fall and spring (with option for groups during the summer as well). Groups focus on transformation, intentional community and outreach which create a social space where we learn God’s character and live in openness and brokenness with one another. In the fall, Growth Groups will all read and discuss the book Empowering Missional Disciples. In the spring, one of the options will be integration of Isaiah’s themes such as repentance, the fear of the Lord, how to hear God’s voice, intercessory prayer, biblical meditation will be the topics of weekly discussion. Facilitators with the support of the pastoral staff will choose topics and themes. An integral dimension of our Growth Groups is outreach: together we will participate in outreach events such as sharing our faith with others in our communities and works of service. For TCC to fulfill her destiny in this generation and for her to lay firm foundations for the next generation, we need to recover, in the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer what “religionless Christianity” is all about (as opposed to rote church attendance as a religious ritual without any noticeable transformation in our lives); we need to recapture the vision for community and “life together;” we need to reconsider what the true “cost of discipleship” means as followers of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century. Sanctuary Renovations “I will beautify my beautiful house” (Isaiah 60:7). Our beautiful facilities at TCC are instruments for worship. Once in a while, we must tune them and make sure they function properly. Funded from bequest funds, we are thankful for this provision though we do anticipate the inevitable additional costs (included in the proposed budget for 2025 as part of our stewardship campaign). Scheduled for February of March 2025 (if everything goes well), the much-needed sanctuary renovations will include a newly reconfigured stage, lighting, sound, along with other aesthetic and structural improvements. The project timeline is two or three months during which time our worship service will take place in the Gym.

To carry out our mission “to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ,” regular (weekly/biweekly) church attendance is not enough. Ongoing small groups consisting of the same people over periods extending years can foster a strong social bond and spiritual support among trusted brothers and sisters. However, from feedback received, with life at a pace that requires changes and adaptation, Life Groups (LG) at TCC have experienced uneven attendance with the resulting lack of effectiveness to foster growth in discipleship. In addition, the open-ended commitment that LGs require (some have met for decades) can be daunting and lead to leader and participant burnout, with few options to explore other social spaces. For our newcomers, it can be difficult to find the “right group” with many competing schedules. To fulfil our mission for intentional biblical discipleship at TCC, we are implementing a semester-based discipleship program (10 weeks) utilizing a small group format (see description below) that runs in the fall and spring (with options for groups during the summer, as well). We are calling them “Growth Groups.” There is a real need and cry for new models of small groups as a way to meet new people and grow together. Growth Groups focus on transformation, intentional community and outreach which create a social space where we learn God’s character and live in openness and brokenness with one another. Topics such as repentance, the fear of the Lord, how to hear God’s voice, intercessory prayer, biblical meditation and more and are all part of the variables of the curriculum. The format of 10 weeks allows the facilitator to coordinate and lead the group, with the assistance of an apprentice, with a definite purpose and goals to accomplish within a set time period. Facilitators can opt to roll off and pass on the mantle to the apprentice or stay on for one more semester, alleviating the burnout we often see in Life Groups. An integral dimension of our Growth Groups is outreach: together we will participate in outreach events such as sharing our faith with others in our communities, works of service, and even fun days! Jesus concludes his teaching on the mountain in Matthew 5-7 with the contrasting image of the house built on sand and the house built on rock. The latter’s firm foundation is for the disciples who not only hear the Word (through teachings, preaching, biblical meditation, podcasts, devotionals, Bible reading plans, etc.) but also apply it. Someone once wisely observed that the early Church in the book of Acts was a missionary-sending, outreach-focused Body. There were no churches consisting of non-missionaries. For TCC to fulfill her destiny in this generation and for her to lay firm foundations for the next generation, we need to recover, in the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer what “religionless Christianity” is all about (as opposed to rote church attendance as a religious ritual without any noticeable transformation in our lives); we need to recapture the vision for community and “life together”; we need to reconsider what the true “cost of discipleship” means as followers of Jesus Christ in the 21 st Century. Implementation of Growth Groups will happen in fall, 2024. Existing Life Groups that wish to remain together may continue meeting as they have been, or they may choose to alter their structure to fit the Growth Group model. The Growth Group model is based on the structure outlined in Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups. More information about Growth Groups will be coming soon. Sign-ups will take place in September and groups will begin on Monday, September 30.