We are welcoming retired Rev. Alden Barnes to our pulpit for this Sunday's worship service. Rev. Barnes will deliver a message on "Speaking With Authority," based on Mark 1's gospel story of Jesus driving out an unclean spirit from a man in Galilee. What are our "unclean spirits," and how can we turn to the authority and power of Jesus for cleansing and new hope? We thank Rev. Alden for supporting our worship while Pastor John is traveling with family, and we hope that you will find our worship and fellowship afterwards warm and inspiring!

Warm music of praise and salvation from around the world blessed our worship this Sunday, as Pastor John Blossom's sermon "Get Up!" reminded us that Jonah's calling Nineveh to repentance was not an "instant success" - it was Jonah's willingness to be redeemed by God in the belly of a "great fish" that gave his call God's authority and excellence! Like Jonah and Malala Yousafzai, we can get up from what we think is our defeats and proclaim God's power over evil in our lives! Announcements, sermon and slides, and more in our podcast below, and Pastor John's sermon text is here and below the podcast. Claim God's excellence this week in your life - together!

Fill your heart with God's love this Sunday with a moment to praise the God who gives us so much in life, and rejoice in how God prepares us to be faithful transformers of God's creation in Christ - everywhere that God leads us! Sunday, 10AM, with warm fellowship afterwards. See you then!

What is "Holy Conferencing?" Everything that helps us to come together as God's church to grow Christ in the world in a "hands on" way. We opened on Sunday in our sanctuary with prayers and song, and after the passing of the peace we continued worshiping in the fellowship hall. We "got messy and made mistakes" in our intergenerational message and exercise, explored how we can grow our faith one hour a week in the model of Methodism's "three simple rules," held a church council meeting (and passed a new budget!), and closed with Holy Communion, each table distributing the bread and cup as Jesus' disciples did two thousand years ago after Jesus' "sermon on the mount." 

We can respond to God's word in holy conferencing many different ways - and every three months, we'll try new ways that connect us to our faith in God's world powerfully! Video highlights below, and text of Pastor John Blossom's sermon "Greater Things" is below the video. Enjoy exploring your extra hour of faith - together!

Come taste and see what living faith can be life at our church this Sunday at 10AM! We will start worship in our beautiful sanctuary, and then continue in an attitude of worship in our fellowship hall with time for fellowship, intergenerational activities and messages, celebrations and discussions, prayers, a brief meeting for official business, and finishing with a celebration of Holy Communion in a family style setting. Our hope is that we can have these special celebrations of faith and church life once a quarter, to enliven and reconnect our church with one another, and to prepare it for our mission in the world. Come and see greater things - and be a part of them!

Join the magi (three kings) at 10AM this Sunday, and begin the new year by searching diligently for the child of God in us and in the world, to fuel our renewal of faith. Pastor John Blossom's sermon "Search Party" will be followed by a celebration of Wesley's Covenant Service, an opportunity for us to commit ourselves to Christ for the year powerfully in the Methodist tradition. Join the party this year, as we rejoice in our faith!

A new year can feel so good, like everything can start over - and it can! But will it be a start of something truly new, something that really changes your life and the world for the better? Or will it be a year when you are just spending time doing the same predictable things? God gives us a choice - we can practice dying, or practice living like we're already in heaven!

The choice is ours - and at South Meriden Trinity United Methodist Church, we want to invite you to make a better choice this year, through a renewal and growing of your faith in service to God! This January, you will start to see new programs and new ways of acting as the church in our community:

• January 7th - Come to our Wesley Covenant Service to re-dedicate your life to in the service of God like never before.
• January 14th - A quarterly church meeting will combine worship, fellowship, food, fun and Holy Communion in ways that involve everyone together.
• January 21st - A winter prayer walk after worship will invite us to re-commit ourselves to touching our community with the life of Christ in our hearts.
• By month's end, we expect to be adding a weekday evening event that will offer fellowship, praise to God, prayer, and devotional groups.

Start your new year with a church that is dedicated to making a difference in your life that will invite God's living presence into the world. May your life never be the same!

 On a (very!) cold Winter's morning, we had a great turnout to continue our celebration of the coming of Christ into the world. ​Our Lay Leader Sally Dow and our Music Director Laurie Brandl shared the back-stories of some of our most popular Christmas carols, as we enjoyed a sing-along, and heartfelt prayers and hymns. Announcements, stories, and prayers on the podcast. Have a blessed New Year!