30-Minute Service This Sunday!

Don't forget this Sunday, August 15, is another 30-Minute Service at Trinity.

Show up for worship, as usual, dressed for action. After a short service, we'll all break up and disperse to our respective "filled-up/poured-out" activities.

Some people are going to the recycling center, others downtown to serve the homeless. Still others will be meeting new people and taking them to lunch. Whatever activity you choose, just remember to let us know about it.

You can leave a comment here, or at trinity@trinityalaska.org

Kids Fun Week Wraps Up to Rave Reviews by Erin Kirkland

Our first-ever nature-themed, world-oriented, self-driven Kids Fun Week finished in a big way yesterday afternoon with a performance by the kids and a ton of food provided by everyone.

What started as a "seed" in the midst of winter "grew" into one of the most positive and productive events we've ever done. At least I think so.

Comments I've overheard ranged from "This is the coolest idea ever; I've been looking for ways to connect my kids to nature and God, but I hadn't yet found a way," to "I hope you're going to do this next year!"

Many moms and dads headed directly from Kincaid Park's Bunker to the home store to buy planters to hold the multitude of plants and seeds brought home by their kids. What a great reminder of a great week; a pot full of blooming plants and a home full of blooming kids.

Well done, everyone involved!

Kids Fun Week Rocks and Rolls and Kincaid Park

Our Kids' Fun Week participants are jumping, crawling, and digging into the beauty of our earth from the ground up. Whether it's planting seeds, turning everyday products into useful items, or singing the rockin' cool song "Everything Has a Place", kids from all over Anchorage are enjoying an awesome three days of God, our community, and ourselves.

Here's a few pics from the week so far. Don't forget, a picnic for all those involved will be held at Kincaid Park (site of KFW) tomorrow at 3 p.m. Please give your RSVP to the folks at the registration table in the morning.

Trail Time and Spring Cleaning

The neighborhood surrounding Trinity was busy today as close to 30 people spent the morning working on various projects at the church and Huffman Park.

Painting, weeding, sweeping, and general maintenance tasks were performed on the church grounds, and about 15 people dove into a mega-maintenance project at Huffman Park next door. Armed with pruning saws, loppers, and a lot of goodwill, these folks spent four hours cutting, clearing, and otherwise spiffing up a previously overgrown and not-to-well maintained park.

The weather was beautiful, the company good, and the lunch delicious, thanks to Milt Tanora and his barbeque.

Many, many thanks to those who participated, in particular the members of Huffman PTA and O'Malley-Huffman Community Council for their time. A big thanks goes to the Municipality of Anchorage for loaning a bunch of tools. We couldn't have done it without you.

If you have a chance this week, take a walk through the trail system and see what a few hours of teamwork can do.

Huffman Community Park Project Takes Off by Erin Kirkland

Saturday's scheduled Clean-Up day is growing like the grass! While we spiff up Trinity's inside and out, a bunch of folks from Trinity, Huffman Elementary, and the O'Malley/Huffman Community Council will be across the street spiffing up the often-used but seldom-maintained Huffman Community Park.

I walked the park last week with the Municipality of Anchorage's Forester and we agreed the park needs some serious help to support its use. Between then and now our volunteer roster jumped by leaps and bounds and now we are anticipating upwards of 40 people on Saturday morning. Whoa. I'd better get more gloves.

The project will begin at Trinity no later than 8 a.m. this Saturday, May 15, so if you want in on this morning/early afternoon of clearing Devil's Club (now doesn't that sound like fun), piling brush, and meeting your neighbors, meet in front of Trinity's front doors with gloves on, to help us. I promise it will be a rewarding day.

Did I mention a fabulous barbeque lunch will also be served? Yep. The greatest.

Participants should bring and/or wear:

Long pants/shirts, raingear (we'll be working rain or shine)

Sturdy gloves

Pruning saws (no power tools)

Loppers for cutting brush

Boots

Any questions? Call Trinity at 345-4823, or Erin Kirkland 575-3935. We'll do our best to answer them.

Good Friday is (Not) About Me

Many of you know that our family is missing one member in the form of our oldest son, 16, who lives at a residential school in Utah to help him manage his Autism Spectrum disorder. Two years absent, it's taken our family at least that long to reconfigure, regroup, and reevaluate our relationship with each other and with God.

My walk with God has been somewhat tenuous in the past; anger, hurt, and deep confusion predominated conversations with Him that usually looped around to "How could this happen to ME?" sorts of endings. Last year's Good Friday service was a powerful reminder of these things as I listened closely to a story I had heard at least a thousand times growing up. Geez, I thought to myself, God let his son die. His mother let her son die. Cruelly, painfully. It brought back a flood of negative memories and feelings contrary, as I now know, to the meaning behind the event. Like so many other people in the Fellowship Hall that night, I found myself weeping in a corner as I listened; but for me and the way my life had turned out so contrary to what I wanted and felt I deserved.

It's been a year of discovery and contemplation to look beyond myself and view the season of Easter in a different way. Tonight is another Good Friday service, and I understand more now, reaching out to its meaning, and how in a way it is about me. Me, and God, and You, and Everybody. I've found different conclusions this Good Friday that will lead to an absolutely different sort of celebration on Easter Sunday.

Who is your Good Friday about?

The Parable of the Sower and Trinity

What does this parable, found in the Gospel of Mark, have to do with the words "Self-Community-World"?

Listen for information about this summer's events to find out....

More From 30-Minute Service Sunday

Still more highlights from Trinity's 30-Minute Service Sunday project are coming into InsideOut. This from the Trinity Trapliners:

"Seven Trapliners arrived at Safe Harbor Muldoon to donate time and needed items (coffee, toilet paper, nacho chips, and cake). We removed ceiling tiles to locate a major roof leak, replaced light bulbs, reorganized the library, repared furniture, mopped floors, removed old carpeting, swept floors, and did general housekeeping to the common areas."

Thanks Trapliners, for spending time at Safe Harbor, they sure appreciated the extra hands!

The Trinity Chicks at Ski 4 Women

This from Lisa Darnell, one of the "Trinity Chicks" who supported Abused Women Aid In Crisis at the annual Ski 4 Women event, conveniently held during our 30-Minute Service Sunday.

Lisa adds this appropriate and compassionate message along with her great photo:

"Matt 18:20. For where two or three come together in My name, there I am with them. Trinity Chicks were joined by butterflies, snow crabs, fish, mosquitoes, flamingos, and a multitude of other creatures from God's kingdom to support abused women."

Amen!

A Day of Discovery

Discovery comes in many forms. Today it came from five children who, in the course of an hour, discovered that helping people can be fun and indeed make a difference.

Ten of us altogether, parents and kids working in tandem at Safe Harbor Inn to clean, sanitize, and organize toys and equipment in the play area. As a group we discovered how much work we could accomplish in a short 60 minutes. As parents, we discovered the ability of young children to empathize and care about other people.

Armed with santitizing wipes, the kids dug into toy boxes, drawers and cupboards to clean up hundreds of cars, dolls, and action figures, with a minimum of playing themselves. Parents washed infant toys, vacuumed, and organized the entire space.

The most amazing part? There was no asking "When are we done?" "How much longer?"

My son, five, told me tonight that he had fun at Safe Harbor. "Was that good?" he asked.

Yes, I replied. Very good.

Lunch and Learn

Not having a teenager in my house just now, I have been somewhat out of the loop when it comes to the nuances of the 13-18 age group. Not for lack of trying, mind you, but without our own personal teen living and breathing in the home, sometimes the Kirkland Dorky-Adult-Radar seems to work overtime with respect to kids with whom we come in contact.

I had a chance this week, however, to redeem myself. In addition to our support of the Trinity Youth groups and South High School Drama program (a talented group of kids, btw), I attended an interesting lunchtime activity on Friday. Presented as a benefit for victims of the Haiti earthquake, the lunch was a chance for teenagers to have an outlet to help and meet other youth. Invitations were sent to Grace Christian School, South Anchorage High, and the Young Life program participants to pay $3 for a simple lunch and "hang-out" time at Trinity.

About ten kids showed up for the hot dog, mac 'n cheese, and soup lunch, during which time they also watched a dvd called Playing for Change, a musical masterpiece featuring known and not-so-known artists in a world-collaborative effort.

Everybody seemed to be having a good time, the food was good, and the snow fell quietly outside. It was a nice break from the daily grind for both kids and adults, and plans have been solidified for a First Friday lunch in March.

And I didn't do anything particularly dorky, after all.

Photos from the Holiday Concert

Chris Thompson, a community blogger for the Anchorage Daily News and one of Trinity's biggest fans sent over some photos he took at our December 13th concert. A tandem effort between the Alaska Jazz Workshop and Trinity's own Worship Band, a crowded house heard incredible sounds and songs throughout the evening concert.

Hosted by Trinity and held in the transformed lobby area, the performance provided Trinity members to attend with non-churched friends or acquaintances, a nice way to introduce people from the surrounding neighborhoods and greater Anchorage area to our going's on. Jazz night was the second in a series of holiday-themed concerts featuring Trinity's incredible 'sound sensations' and some talented young musicians from the community.

It was clear from resounding applause at the end of the show the evening was a complete success. You can read Chris' impressions of the performance on his ADN 'Church Visits' blog, found at the link above, or on the right in our sidebar.

In 11 Days...

It's coming.

A very, very special day.

You can take blessings you've received, be they time, talent, or otherwise, and present them to our community. Everyone can contribute, everyone can participate.

The only thing we need is Y.O.U.

The 30-Minute Service and community project beings Sunday, February 7 with worship from 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. We will be serving the Anchorage area from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Trinity-poured out.

Call the church office 345-4823 or keep checking the blog for ideas and partners for this incredible day.

Annual '30-Minute Service' Coming Soon

It's almost here! Sunday, February 7 is Trinity's annual 30-Minute Service, a chance to offer ourselves to the community as the hands and feet of Jesus.

Last year, our Trinity community participated in the Ski 4 Women event, helped out at the Recycling Center, spent time polishing cars as they came out of a local car wash, baked cookies for the Rescue Mission, and many, many more activities.

We want to know how your family will spend the day. Share your ideas here, as there are many of us still considering how to best participate in what has become a wonderful way to share our hearts and hands with others, all in the name of Jesus.

Filled up, poured out.

Polar Plunge Success

Here are some photos from the 2009 Special Olympics Alaska Polar Plunge, held last weekend at Goose Lake.

Hundreds of individuals (four of them attend Trinity; Daniel and Sarah Fink, Karl Bruening, and Eric Brown) jumped and splashed their way into, and out of, Goose Lake in single-digit (almost zero, really) temperatures in support of Special Olympics. Daniel, in particular, was a driving force behind his East High School team, and gained our vote for most inspirational teenager...