Dear Trinity Church,
Matt’s 4-month pilgrimage is about to begin. And so is ours.
Double Pilgrimage
On Easter, we will bless and send him on his way as he begins his sabbatical (for more about sabbaticals, see the letter below from Bishop Ken). From Easter to August 31st, Matt will be focused on rest and renewal — in his body, mind, and spirit. And during his time away, we are not just twiddling our thumbs, waiting for his return! Our job is to lean into being the body of Christ. As Ken says in his letter, “We are, first and foremost, a kingdom of priests. Sabbaticals help us remember this as we take deeper ownership and step into and use the gifts God has given us.” How wonderful would it be for Matt to come back and see all these gifts that have been hiding! How beautiful would it be to see us as the body of Christ functioning in our sweet spots — the ways God has uniquely equipped us for worship, service and mission!
A Story of Stepping Up
Just yesterday, I was surprised (and delighted) to see that someone in our church took their own initiative to come and do a few hours of gardening and weeding around the church. You should have seen the joy on her face! She loved it. She was great at it. And she was stepping into leadership without even being asked. I loved that on the first week after signing the papers to purchase this building (see the historic service here), we already had people stepping up to faithfully steward it as we become owners.
For Any Pastoral Needs You Have...
It might be too obvious to say, but Matt will have very limited access to phone and email during his time away. So, please refrain from contacting him. As I step into becoming lead pastor this summer, any pastoral needs you have can be directed to me. My phone is 509.881.7737, and my email is carson@trinitywenatchee.org. Also - you know where my office is! Or maybe you don’t…in which case, we need to talk :)
I am so glad to have Nate Kellogg join our staff part-time, supporting me with the pastoral load, as well as heading up teams and events for the summer. We’ve got some fun stuff in the works! Just wait and see...
Life of David series
Lastly, on April 24th, we are beginning a new preaching series on the Life of David! For 20 weeks, we’ll be walking through 1 and 2 Samuel, learning many insights from David’s life and relationships. It’s such a fitting topic for Ordinary Time, and I’m excited to take this journey together. As a guide, we’ll be using Eugene Peterson’s book Leap Over A Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians. If you’d like a copy to follow along, we have them available at the church for $10.
Buckle up Trinity! Summer’s coming...
Carson+
p.s. - Before Easter begins, Pastor Matt wanted you to listen to this song by Josh Garrells called "Farther Along." I commend it to you, too! He’s a gifted musician and lyricist.
Letter about Sabbaticals from Bishop Ken
Dear Trinity Church,
I want to commend you for giving your pastor, Matt Canlis, a sabbatical. Sabbath is a key identifier of the people of God: we trust God enough to rest, to stop our scrambling, to recognize that He is the source of life. A sabbatical is an extended period of rest, renewal, and refreshment. This time of rest is to help the pastor return to the ministry renewed and refreshed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
A sabbatical also carries blessings for the congregation. There is the blessing of having your pastor return refreshed and renewed, but the blessing is deeper than that. We are, first and foremost, a kingdom of priests. Sabbaticals help us remember this as we take deeper ownership and step into and use the gifts God has given us. Even in very healthy churches, there can be a tendency to become pastor centered – and for people to not offer their gifts and talents. The strengthening of the ministry of the people of God in the church and through the church into the community is a tremendous blessing. This greater ownership is a blessing for the church and for the pastor when he returns – it enables him to be more fully who God has called and gifted him to be as the pastor.
I am thankful for you, I am thankful for the gift of this time for Matt and Julie and their family. I am thankful for Carson and the staff and vestry who will help lead in this time, and I am thankful for this opportunity for you to become more fully the church in Wenatchee and for Wenatchee.
Grace and Peace,
Bishop Ken Ross
Holy Week
April 10 Palm Sunday // 8:30 & 9:45am April 15 Good Friday & Stations of Cross // 7pm Apr 15-17 Centering Prayer Vigil // (various) April 17 Easter Service & Feast // 10am April 24 Goats & Mines Family Event // 2:30pm
Goats and Mines Family Event
Please Note the Date Change
Monte and Penny invite the church family to pet their newborn baby goats! The goats have not yet been born so the date of this event is being pushed out until April 24th at 2:30.
For those who wish, Monte will lead a hike up to view some mines on his property. What a fun adventure!
This will be a family friendly event with limited capacity. RSVPs are required.
Godly play is taking a two week break to allow the kids to be a part of the church's celebration of Palm Sunday and Easter. We're excited to celebrate Holy Week together as a church family.
Save the Date:
Family Camp Aug 12-14
Couple of notes about Family Camp for those that have never been (or who went to our modified, 1 day version last year):
It's overnight (Friday night, Saturday night).
There are cabins to stay in (also can bring your own RV or tent if you wish)
Price TBD per person / per family
It's not just for families with kids, but for our ENTIRE church family!
It's gonna be really FUN: a mixture of outdoors, teaching, meals, worship, and play :)
Key Info for Church this Spring
Our services are at 8:30am and 9:45am.
- Live stream our 9:45am services HERE - Watch past services on YouTube - Listen to Sermon audio