Friends, local weather forecasters are having quite a week determining what is in store for us this coming Sunday.  It is winter in New England, indeed.

We urge you to stay home and prioritize your safety and comfort in any level of frigid temperatures, snow or ice.  Please do not attempt to travel if there is any risk.

In consultation with our Vestry leaders, we have decided that a simple version of the Annual Meeting WILL proceed – but from the Sanctuary on Livestream.  (Not Facebook.)  We will begin the meeting at 11:00 AM – and it will be a separate recording from our Sunday service recording.

It would be complicated to reschedule this meeting.  We have events scheduled in February … and we want to elect and empower our new Vestry leaders to begin their work immediately!  Thank you for your understanding.
​
Rev. Andrea Castner Wyatt 

Beloved of Trinity Church,

I look forward to sharing the joy of this season of Incarnation with you this Christmas! It is a gift to serve God with you, and I rejoice in our shared ministries here in Newtown. One of my favorite carols, since I was a child, is “I Wonder as I Wander.” A traditional Appalachian folk carol, it has a haunting, lyrical simplicity. The words and lilting melody touch deep places in our hearts.

In this spirit of memory and profound longing for God, I pray that each of us finds the presence of God this Christmas season.  

“I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor ordinary people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.”

I am so honored to walk with you in faith, following Jesus in ministry and discipleship.  Jesus the Christ, who comes to us now as a child, full of vulnerability and power.  

“When Mary bore Jesus, ‘twas in a cow’s stall,
With wise men and animals and shepherds and all,
But high from the heavens a star’s light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.”
I pray each of us finds moments of wonder and awe, marveling at the surprising ways the hope and promise of God is born anew in our lives, in the life of our world.  I will see you this coming Sunday, December 21st , for our Pageant at 9:30 AM. Our Christmas Eve service begins at 4:30 with special music, the liturgy beginning at 5:00 PM. Christmas morning, we will gather at 10:00 AM.
May God bless you richly,
​Rev. Andrea Castner Wyatt, Rector

We look forward to gathering in community this coming Sunday to share a wonderful meal after worship. On a day when our hearts are heavy – as we remember the tragedies at the Sandy Hook Elementary School – it will be good to be together in prayer and in fellowship.

​We will pause in our liturgy for a time of silent reflection and prayer. Also, there will be an Interfaith Gathering for Prayer and Comfort at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening, December 14th, at the Newtown Congregational Church at 14 West Street.
We celebrate all the amazing people who are helping – in kitchen and dining room – to create this Breakfast. The chefs are a very open group – so if you are interested in helping, grab and apron and jump in! All are welcome! Come as you are! 

Friends and Members of Trinity Church, please be aware that churches are often targeted for “phishing” scams. Someone creates a false email address and pretends to be a member of the clergy or staff. This criminal will then ask for financial help, or for gift cards, or for personal information. If you look carefully, you will always see that the email address is not the correct one used by our clergy or staff.
Please know that staff of Trinity Church would never ask you to purchase gift cards, or ask you for money. Staff members would never ask you to keep a transaction secret.  We must learn to be alert to communications that seems ‘fishy’ … because they are! It is always a good idea to verify with the church office if you have any questions. You can also contact your own service provider and report these fraudulent emails as “phishing.”

Gratitude
Thank you so much for your many expressions of support for the Wyatt family as we celebrated our daughter’s wedding last week. It was a joy-filled occasion!
This Summer
This Sunday, July 27th , we look forward to the Rev. Allison Brown serving again as Deacon in our liturgy, and offering a sermon for the first time.
On Sunday, August 3rd, we are excited to invite Children to a special Kids Church Camp during worship! Families, come and meet our new Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Miss Allison – also known as the Rev. Allison Brown, newly ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Children will experience a Bible lesson and crafts, and will return to the Sanctuary in time to share Holy Eucharist with their families.
Continuing Education Leave
As a reminder, I will be leaving on August 8th for the Continuing Education Leave stated in my contract after 5 years of service. Trinity received approval of our sabbatical plan last summer from Bishop Laura Ahrens - and have spent the past year refining our plan.

Our Diocese envisions a time of renewal and learning – both for the Priest and the Parish! We look forward to visits from familiar and beloved guest clergy, and have plenty of behind-the-scenes support as well.
As we move into fall, we will welcome newcomers, complete our roof and window repairs, continue our outreach and mission, engage our annual giving and budget process, and return to Choir and Church School. Stephen Ministry training will begin, and Parish Care ministries will thrive. Lots going on! But it can also be time to breathe a bit, to dream about new ministries!
Chuck and I will travel to the west coast of Ireland, to live in an Irish-speaking village and continue our exploration of early Celtic Christian archaeology and legends. I hope to expand my Gaelic skills into actual conversation – maybe! We plan to hike and rest, and will hold Trinity and her lovely people in our prayers every day.

I believe both Parish and Priest are ready for a time of prayerful reflection on what we have accomplished, and on how God may be nudging us to new ministries as I return in early November.
I know you are in excellent hands with our staff and lay leadership, and our many pastoral care ministries. Christina Lye and Bob Gardner, Wardens; Noel Bellesheim, Treasurer; and Sue Roman, Clerk – as well as Patrick Corrigan – are the Vestry leaders guiding Trinity during this 3-month period. Do reach out to any of them with questions or needs. God Bless You!
Rev. Andrea Wyatt

We are also delighted to welcome The Rev. Allison Brown to Trinity Church! Allison was ordained on June 28th at our Episcopal Cathedral in Hartford as a Transitional Deacon, and will be ordained to the Priesthood in January of 2026. She has long felt a call to serve Christ’s Church, and believes – in her own words - that “ the Church is at its best when it makes space for childlike faith – full of wonder, creativity, honesty and joy.”

Deacon Allison grew up nearby in CT, deeply connected to the life of her Episcopal Church through Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English – with a concentration in Creative Writing – and in Environmental Studies from Eastern CT State University.

While a graduate student at Boston University, Allison served as a Seminarian at All Saints Parish in Brookline, MA, co-leading the Children’s Formation program. In addition, Allison also served as a Seminarian at The Crossing, a congregation of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston. Allison was a member of that Cathedral’s ‘Chapter,’ or Vestry. She also assisted with their innovative program ‘Ministry of the Steps,’ offering pastoral outreach on Boston Common.

Allison graduated from BU in 2023 with a Masters degree in Theology - with certificates in Anglican Studies and Ecological Justice.

Allison is eager to engage with Trinity’s growing cohort of families with children. She believes that children's formation can be – again, in her own words - “a place where questions are encouraged, scripture is alive, and each child is welcomes as a Beloved Child of God.”

Deacon Allison will be sending out a Children's Ministry e-news. If you do not recieve it, and would like to please let her know. You can email Allison at [email protected].

With tremendous gratitude to Lori Rohrbacher for her years of faithful service, we now say farewell as she departs from our staff. Lori rejoined us this past year in a remote capacity. We are so grateful all that she offered us as we built new electronic procedures. We will miss her!

We are pleased to welcome Eliisa Antal as our new Bookkeeper, beginning July 1st. Eliisa plans to be present during office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You may reach her at [email protected]. Eliisa shares a few words of introduction with us here:

Eliisa lives in Sandy Hook with her husband and three boys. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a major in Business Management. She began her career in the power industry, where she worked over a decade in various roles, from Administrative Assistant to Operations Business Analyst. There she was responsible for accounts payable functions, budget development and budget variance reporting, creating and managing spreadsheets for financial tracking and providing local management with financial and business analysis and recommendations. 

After spending several years raising her small children, Eliisa returned to work in a part-time role as a Business Manager for a local Law Firm, where she has happily worked since 2021. There she manages billing and other practice management tasks for the office, process weekly payroll and onboards new employees. When the opportunity arose to take on another part time role as Bookkeper with Trinity Epsicopal Church, she was delighted!

​Beloved Ones,

Sunday, June 15th promises to be a rich and full day at Trinity Church! We will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism with the Bundy Family. What a joy, on Father’s Day to welcome Nora Elizabeth into our parish family.

Our scriptures appointed for this 1st Sunday after Pentecost invite us to ponder the Trinity.

We will share a moment of appreciation of our Children’s Ministry Teachers and Leaders and Volunteers – including our teens, who have been a great help.

Our Choir will sing this Sunday, before entering into a well-deserved summer Sabbath.

We will have a special treat after worship in honor of Father’s Day – Root Beer Floats downstairs in the Glover Room - for Dads and for everyone.

Come and share in the Spirit-filled power of our community.
​
Peace be with you, Rev. Andrea