Trinity Lights

Because literacy is becoming a big issue, last fall at a meeting we were asked to accept a mission to help get books into the hands of children; especially those in poverty and low-income areas.  From this mission charge grew the Trinity Lights Libraries.   Our first planting is at the corner of Cornelia and Ruby Street.  We have a short library for books for the older grade students and a tall one to house the large size primary books.  Children of all ages are invited to pick a free book to read.  When they have finished reading it, we invite them to give it to someone else to enjoy.

 We have had several people donate gently used or new books and, in addition, we are literacy partners with Scholastic Books.  From an initial donation we were able to buy paperback books for around 1.00 each. 

We installed and stocked our Trinity Lights Libraries around the March 1.  In the first month we have placed over 200 books in the hands of children. 

Our response had been so great we quickly realized to sustain our mission we were going to figure how to get more books.  One suggestion was the Change for Mission Jar.  All of us admitted that we have change laying around the house or in our cars.  If that change could be donated to The Trinity Lights, we might be able to keep our libraries supplied.  In the first month over $200.00 was collected in the Change Jar.  That will allow us to buy over 200 books.  And we hope this will continue. 

Donations of gently used books can be left at the church office.

 

 

 

Minas United Methodist Church, Cuban Sister Church

Minas (Camagüey, Cuba)

Minas is a town in the Camagüey region of Cuba.

 

On April 11, 2018 members of the Ruth Circle met with Robert and Mary Lopez.  They are one of our connections to our Sister Church in Cuba, Mines United Methodist Church (pronounced Mynas).   The congregation there is served by one pastor and one missionary. 

A missionary in the Cuban UMC is someone who would like to become a pastor but has not begun formal training.  That person usually tries to meet with people who are too far away from the church.  They meet in small groups of 1-8, called cells.  Cells grow into groups of 8-10 called missions, then 10-15 people make up a home church (which means half the pastors house become the actual church.

One of the needs of Pastors and Missionaries are bicycles.  The Ruth Circle collected $185.00 to go to the Mines UMC to buy bicycles for the Pastor and the Missionary.  If they already have bicycles, then the money was designated for any use the church may have. 

In August,  2018,  the church was able to send two suitcases of materials for the Church at Minas to use.  Two items were tarps to use as outdoor classrooms!

 

 

 

 

Southwest Elementary Partnership

John Lucas, Chair

 Trinity UMC has a church/school relationship with Southwest Elementary here in Lakeland.  This fall we will be providing much needed supplies to the teachers for the start of the school year.

We also provide one-on-one tutors for the schools' Arise2Read program.  This is a program to help children learn to read 1,000 sight words during Kindergarten,
First, and Second grade.  We may be expanding to reading buddies in the older grades. 

We are looking for more volunteers.  Luke 10:2:  He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  Come be a part of the harvest of reading and literate children.  If you would like to volunteer for an hour or more, please contact Phylly Nerove or Judy Hays at the church office.

 

 

 

 

Rumage Sale

Members of the Trinity Community and ghe Ruth Circle gather together hidden treasures from our community. This sale raiseds funds for our United Methodist Women to support their mission projects.  The Rumage sale is usually held in February.

 

 

 Dinners

We serve dinners monthly, November to March to raise money for our missions programs. Dinner is from 4-6 and during that time we typically serve around 400 people.

Christ came to serve, and so we follow him.

 

 

 

FOOD BANK

Open the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month

10 am - 1 pm

Trinity UMC is trying to feed the people in our community.  Our team works supply food to those in need.

Teams gather, pack food and distribute it on the first and third  Wednesday.