When people around the word experience major disasters, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is the first to arrive, and the last to leave - often years later - again and again. It is one of the most widely respected and effective relief organizations in the world. 100% - every penny - of funds donated for relief efforts goes to actual relief work! This Sunday, our once-a-year special collection around the world makes this possible, by funding all administrative functions of UMCOR. Special envelopes will be available for use, or you can donate online now to help more people around the world feel God's healing touch. Thank you!

In a world that gives us more and more choices that aren't good for us, what a blessing to choose the way that is always good for us - Jesus! Our joyful worship highlighted one of the choices being added possibly to lives of people in Connecticut - legal retail marijuana sales, being proposed by our CT legislature. Pastor John's letter on this topic to our state delegation is here and at the bottom of this post.

After worship, our mission team leader Daryl Fitzgibbons led our members in mission to assemble twenty health kits, which will be used by local outreach missions to those in dire need of basic human dignity. We thank Daryl and everyone for their efforts - these kits have been blessed by Pastor John, and blessed by our people in mission.

Our worship podcast with Pastor John's sermon, prayers and sending is below, text of his sermon is here and below the podcast. Have a blessed week being led by Jesus to the next right thing in God's love!

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Meriden's ShelterNow program provides emergency housing and guidance for people of all walks of life who need to get to the next right step in their lives, and we are blessed to be in ministry with them throughout the year. But at Christmas, we get to give back to them in ways that bring special joy to shelter residents - and to us!

Mary Barker and Linda Kirk spearheaded our efforts again this year, assembling over 20 bags of much-appreciated gifts of clothing and hygiene items, and a fantastic dinner that would make a fine feast at tny table! Friends of the church pitched in, and we had a great time with the men of the shelter program, sharing some laughs and touching stories, getting to know one another, praying and offering the gospel's hope for the new year.

We thank Mary, Linda, and everyone in the church who made donations to help fund this mission effort, and who volunteered to make it a success. May you all feel the warmth of Christmas blessings in your heart for helping to bring them to people who need God's hope so very much!
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Members of South Meriden Trinity United Methodist Church were among the hundreds from our Connecticut District who gathered at Hamden Plains UMC on Tuesday night for an evening of joyful singing and prayer, great food and conversation, training, and a very important presentation by our New York Annual Conference Bishop Tom Bickerton.

​As the evening started, everyone in attendance received a special pen that lit up in the dark - we waved them to express our faith that our churches can be the light of God's world! Our thanks to Jeanne King and Mary Barker, who attended these workshops. They came home with important information that they will share in the weeks ahead.