Hello Trinity Friends,

Join us this Sunday January 23rd at 10:30 on Trinity’s YouTube Channel for a special Robbie Burns’ Sunday worship.  There will be some special music (including bagpipes) and a few other special surprises.  Feel free to spend some time browsing Trinity’s YouTube channel – go back and hear a favourite sermon, or choir anthem, watch the Sunday School pageant again, learn more about the stained glass windows or Trinity’s WWI or WWII history and much more.  

A reminder that Trinity continues to be closed for in person worship or regular activities through the month of January.  Please call ahead if you need to pop into the church for any reason.  The Covid Response Team will be meeting next week to determine when we will be returning to in person worship – stay tuned! The Monday Morning Food Shelf continues to operate Mondays from 9:30 – 11 am.  The Infant Food Shelf is closed to in person but all clients have been contacted and offered support. 

Some of you may have heard that due to the extreme cold weather and a furnace failure, we had some frozen pipes that unfortunately burst in Rev. Ted’s office.  You may hear a little more about this during this Sunday’s worship.  The matter was handled quickly thanks to Bob Cook, Kirk Elliott and team, who worked around the clock which helped minimize the damage.  It has been a rough start into the new year!  If you’d like to make a donation to help with these extra repair costs please send in a cheque or etransfer to the church.  Your support is always appreciated – especially with these unexpected challenges.
Stay warm and safe!

Hello Trinity Friends,
This Sunday please join us online on Trinity’s YouTube Channel for livestream worship at 10:30 am.  Although we are not worshiping in person together, there is comfort in knowing that we are still worshiping together  (wherever we are worshiping from).  Cogeco’s YourTV will air our service a week later Sundays at 8 am and 9 pm.  You may also binge watch any of our previous worship services stretching back to March 2020, our Messages of Hope, and Trinity Spotlight videos on our YouTube channel – who needs Netflix?! 

The Covid Response Team met yesterday and in light of the recent government public health restrictions and the rapidly spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant, the decision was made to cancel in-person worship and continue with online/virtual worship for the month of January, up to and including January 30th.
The staff have been asked to work from home as much as possible and all group activities have been suspended through the month of January.  As such, we ask that should you need to come to the church for any reason, that you contact the Church office to make an appointment to ensure someone is there. 

These are challenging times and I am sure so many of us never anticipated we would still be here almost 2 years later.  If you need to reach out to us for support during this time, please call the church office and leave a message or reach us via email.  
​Stay safe,

Hello Trinity Friends and Happy New Year!
The Covid Response Team met and has made the decision to postpone in person worship for the next two Sundays (January 2nd and January 9th).  With Covid cases rising in our region, it was determined that it was the best decision to make. We hope that we will be able to return to in person worship beginning January 16th – but we will assess the situation as we approach that date.  We have been enjoying seeing folk return to worship and Sunday School these past several weeks.  It is disappointing to have to step back these next two weeks but we want to ensure that we are doing our part to keep people safe and to minimize the spread.  
Worship service (with live music) will be livestreamed to YouTube Trinity’s YouTube Channel at 10:30 am and on Cogeco’s YourTV (a week behind).  
The Church Offices will re-open on Wednesday January 5th. 
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year – may 2022 be a year filled with joy, love and God’s abundant grace and blessings.  

Hello Trinity friends and family,
Please join us in worship tonight – Christmas Eve, at 7 pm – either in person, or on YouTube Trinity’s YouTube Channel.  Our Christmas Eve service will include special music, scripture and a thought provoking Christmas message and the Children’s Christmas pageant (pre-recorded).  There is no need to pre-reserve your seat but do please remember that you will be required to show proof of at least double vaccination at the door. (Children under 12 are exempt at this moment).  
For those of you who missed the Longest Night service earlier this week, you will find that, and all our other services in the worship folder on Trinity’s YouTube Channel.  There will also be a special Christmas special aired on Cogeco’s YourTV tonight at 8:30 pm and Christmas Day at noon and 9 pm.  This will feature some of last year’s Christmas eve service (including last year’s Christmas pageant) with some of this year’s Christmas music.
Trinity’s offices will be closed ​from​ Monday December 27th to Tuesday January 4th, 2022.  We will re-open on ​Wednesday January ​5th. For emergency pastoral care, phones and email will be checked periodically.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and may you have a new year filled with good health, happiness and much love! 
​

Hello Trinity Friends,
This Sunday we light our last Advent Candle – the candle of Love.  Please join us for worship in person or on Youtube Trinity’s YouTube Channel at 10:30 am.A reminder that to attend in person worship you must provide proof of vaccine. With the introduction of the Covid vaccine passport we have been able to increase our capacity and return to Sunday School. Please be sure to have your vaccine certificate or QR code ready on your phone upon arrival.  

TRINITY FAMILY NEWS
​The sympathy of the congregation ​is extended to the family and friends of Pat Copeland.  Pat was a member at Trinity United Church until she moved away to be closer to her family. Pat died on December 13th, 2021 in Bradford, Ontario.  Her obituary can be found here  Pat Copeland Obituary

Our sympathies are also with the many friends, family and community members who knew Hali Carlson, from Dreamcoat.  Hali has had a huge impact on Children’s theatre in North Bay and has been an inspiration to many.  Her loss will be deeply felt for many years to come.  Hali died yesterday after a short battle with cancer.  A celebration of life is being planned in late spring or early fall.  

LONGEST NIGHT SERVICE The onset of winter, and the Advent and Christmas seasons can inspire profound highs and lows in our lives. On Tuesday Dec. 21st at 7pm, members of Trinity United (along with friends from St. Andrew’s United) will gather for a service of heartfelt string music and candlelit prayer in the Trinity sanctuary. Our “Covid” Longest Night may look a little different from other years – but it is still an opportunity for a spacious pause to contem-plate the hopes, fears, and prayers that fill the actual longest night of the year.

CHRISTMAS EVE
Come early for a good seat at our family service, 7pm on ​Friday​ December 24th. That Service will include the Christmas pageant, the scripture story and lively​ (masked)​ singing of many Christmas favourites. 

​TRINITY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL ​Cogeco’s YourTV will air a Trinity Christmas special on Friday December 24 @ 8:30pm​and Christmas Day  @ 12 & 9pm​.  This special service includes a number of Christmas Carols recorded this year as well as a curated selection of Christmas pieces (including last year’s pageant and sermon) from 2020.  ​Tune in and sing along!

LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS The United Church of Canada developed ​a ​gift giving catalogue Gifts with Vision in response to member requests to be able to give gifts to relatives, friends, and loved ones that are in direct support of the church’s Mission & Service partners across Canada and around the world.
If you are seeking inspiring new gift ideas or perhaps would rather not give family and friends the same old clothes/toys/chocolates, Gifts with Vision presents a new way to celebrate special occasions. Give a gift that can help change people’s lives!  Click here for more information  https://giftswithvision.ca/ 

GRATITUDES​ Thank you to all those who contributed to the Trinity Christmas Bag Outreach.  Thanks to your generosity we were able to provide Christmas gifts to over 150 people!  ​Gifts went to youth, adults and family in crisis and are very appreciated by all those who receive them.  This year we provided bags for the North Bay Regional Hospital, Suswin Residential support, Recovery Home, Ojibway Lodge, Crisis Centre Youth, and more!Thank you to all who donated items or cash and thanks to the youth who helped pack the bags – Eve, Amelia, Erin, Rowan, Michael and Efrem.