Mission and Justice
Trinity Church is dedicated to partnering with and supporting others in our community and elsewhere in the world, especially those in need. We believe in the spiritual value of accompanying those who are struggling, having found that we ourselves also receive as we reach out to offer what we can to others.
Christmas is Not Your Birthday (CNYB)
In his book Christmas is Not Your Birthday (2011), the Rev. Mike Slaughter wrote that even though Christmas is a celebration of the greatest miracle ever, we have edged out the miracle [Jesus] out of his own birthday, by losing the real meaning of Christmas in “the chaotic clutter of shopping, spending, escalating debt, making exhausting preparations, and building stacks of gifts that most of us don’t need or will ever use.” Meanwhile, “every four seconds, a child dies somewhere in the world from a hunger-related cause.”
Christmas is Not Your Birthday (CNYB), is an opportunity for our church to proclaim Jesus as the real miracle of Christmas and reclaim Christmas as an opportunity to become miracle workers for people who are poor, hungry, and marginalized. What better way to extend hospitality to our neighbors than thru General Missions projects, supporting the Bail Project, or helping our little ones in Trinity Nursery School and Kindergarten?
If you give to General Missions projects, you will support the ongoing missions of Trinity Church – the Crop Walk, Thanksgiving Baskets, Christmas Baskets, Loaves and Fishes, Open Pantry, Angel Tree, Food Bank, Revitalize CDC, Justice for Our Neighbors, to name a few.
The Bail Project is a national effort to combat mass incarceration, which disproportionately affects low income people and people of color. They pay bail for people in need, enabling them to remain with their jobs and family until they are brought to trial, a process that often takes months and years. When the accused appears for trial, the bail money returns to the fund for someone else to use. 100% of money donated to The Bail Project goes to fund bails, and to date they have helped more than 12,891 people all over the country to get out of jail until they can exercise their right to a fair trial.
Trinity Nursery School is currently operating under Covid-19 restrictions, which means they are operating at 50% capacity with the same number of teachers and staff. So, their income has dropped in half, but their expenses remain the same.
Please give generously to support one or all of these initiatives. You can make your donation on line by clicking here and scrolling down to the CNYB section. You can also mail a check to the church office marked CNYB. Either way, you will be supporting those in need.
If you have questions about any of the funds listed or want more information about how the funds will be used, please contact Diane Mackie or any member of the Missions Committee and they will be happy to help you.
Trinity's Community Ministries
Thanksgiving Baskets for neighborhood families who are food insecure
Christmas Is Not Your Birthday—Annual donations to support specific community health and anti-poverty initiatives.
Mentors with students at Sumner Ave. Elementary School--Currently on hold due to COVID
Urban Potential is a 501c3 non-profit created by Trinity Church to celebrate, support, and enrich urban life in the Greater Springfield area. UP currently supports:
- JFON—Justice for Our Neighbors provides free or affordable legal services for immigrants and also offers meals to families on clinic nights
- Urban Challenge — a multi-day immersion program introducing people to urban life and celebrating life in the city. You can get a more complete picture of the scope of this program by visiting the Urban Challenge website.
UMCOR
Trinity supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). There is a critical need for donations to UMCOR at this time to help support their work in responding to the many recent hurricanes the wildfires in California, and the derecho in the midwest. All money donated to UMCOR ministries goes directly to aid victims of disaster. If you would like to learn more about UMCOR and the important work they do or contribute to help the victims of recent disasters, click here.
Local Ministries
Trinity supports a number of local ministries:
Revitalize Springfield
An organization committed to revitalize homes and lives through preservation, education, and community involvement.
Angel Tree Project
Christmas gifts for children whose parents are in prison.
Church World Service CROP Walk
Trinity hosts and supports the annual walk to end hunger both locally and world wide.
Mobile Food Bank of Western Mass
Fresh and non-perishable groceries are delivered to Trinity’s parking lot on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday to be distributed to neighborhood residents. There is no eligibility requirement for receiving the food.
Relay for Life
Trinity sponsors a team of walkers to remember loved ones lost, honor, and raise money for efforts to make an implact on ending cancer.
Open Pantry
Preparing monthly meal for Loaves and Fishes, collecting non-perishable food items for the food pantry, and making quilts and blankets for the children at the Teen Parent Program.
International Ministries
Nicaragua Covenant
Trinity has supported the Nicaragua Covenant since 2013 with both donations and an annual mission trip. Members of the mission team have helped provide clean water and sanitation as well as build stoves, deliver material donations, and assist with feeding programs and the mobile health clinic, among others.
With the current unrest in Nicaragua, the Nicaragua Covenant has been forced to decrease their operations. This is the statement from their FaceBook page:
For more information, please contact us at nicaragua@trinityspringfield.org.