theGathering Bottles

They have arrived!  Represent the gathering wherever you go with a new "Sigg" bottle.  They are only $12 and can be purchased now.

Lets Go Bowling!

On Saturday, April 4th, we will be meeting at Dick Weber Bowling Alley and dominating the bowling alley...ok maybe not dominating but we will be having a great time together. We will meet at the bowling alley at 6:45 and it will end at 9:15. The cost is only $10!

You can also dress in your best 80's gear, with the best dressed getting a great prize package! (you don't have to dress up to come) Bring a friend and come have a great night.

Family Picture at the 80's Night

lifeGroups

Come join us for lifeGROUPS on Monday nights from 7 - 8:30. This is an opportunity to talk with your friends about real issues that teenagers go through: peer pressure, temptations, self image/self esteem, parents, friends, worry and more.

girls lifeGROUP meets here

guys lifeGROUP meets here

Embrace Chicago Recap

Couple of thoughts about the jr. high "embrace" Chicago trip:

1. I love Jr. Highers!

2. Every young person should take a trip and serve other people (hopefully in returning home, they begin to serve where they live)

3. The man who led the Good News Soup Kitchen said, "There should be no soup kitchens!  The issue of those who have and those who have nots should not exist. "  Beautiful idea...could this really happen?

4. Your relationship and mine with Jesus is a process and a journey.  You don't become just like Jesus over night...it takes days, weeks, months, years to become who he wants us to be.  The important things is that we keep moving closer to Him and His ways.

5. I can't wait to "embrace" NYC with the High School and College Students.

Go here to see more of our experience.

Jr. High Embrace Chicago with Karen

Today we pretended to be homeless and we only had 2 dollars to spend on dinner.   We pooled our money and split subway.  We had one forth left and gave it to an awesome guy named Eric.  He had an eye bandage and said that some teens poked him in the eye and took his money. A witness took him to the hospital, paid for the visit and gave him some money that he would have had and more.  It was cool to see how God protects his children.  After dinner Jordan, Alissa and I went into a bakery and asked for the cookies that were broken and old. We got one, and after Jordan and I talked about how the lady behind the counter didn't really look at us.  We think that she thought we were homeless.  I think now I have at least a little more understanding and compassion for those in situations like homelessness or not being able to provide.  God really showed me new ways to look at people.  

Jr. High Embrace Chicago

It has been a great trip so far with the Jr. High students.  This is their first experience on a trip like this and they are all doing great.  We are working at Carole Robertson each morning in their head start program.  Yesterday, we worked at the Good News kitchen and served a hot meal to about 125 guests (picture above).  Tonight we worked at the Greater Chicago Food Depository sorting and boxing over 4000 lbs of bread!  It was a great experience for our students to work behind the scenes and to not necessarily see what was going to happen with all the food or get any credit.

I am excited for the small steps our students are taking:

Realizing that there are some in our world that really struggle just to make it every day.  

That they can make a difference.

That the world is not all about them...at least we talked about it a little!

Please continue to pray for us...tomorrow we will be headed into the city with only $2 each to buy dinner.  We will be put in the situation of feeling like we are homeless.  I hope they experience something like never before. 

I love being a part of what God is doing in the city of Chicago and watching Him do even the little things in the lives of jr. highers.

Anna's Going to Mexico

Anna is headed to Ciudad Valles, Mexico for a week with her Spanish 3 class. She is departing tomorrow morning early and I am asking you to pray for her and those she will be working with. Here are a few things you can pray for:

*Protection and safe travel

*Peace for those that have never flown before. (Anna would be one)

*Health and rest

*Group bonding

*Open hearts and minds to experience a different culture

*God's annointing on their ministry to the children and people of the villages.

*That their relationship with the Lord will be strengthened and renewed.

*That God's love will be demonstrated through this team and strong relationships will be developed between the team and the Mexician people.

*That God will create in this trip, a life-changing experience both for the team and the villagers.

Don't forget Blast...

Just a reminder that we are meeting at Trinity this Friday at 5 pm for Blast. Please remember to bring money for dinner Friday night and Lunch on Saturday. We will be staying at Trinity on Friday night so please bring sleeping bag, pillow and whatever else you will need. We will be done around 4 on Saturday afternoon. You can check www.monyi.org later this week to find brackets for the tournaments.

Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog

This is hilarious! Poor dog...but this is funny.

GO HERE

Just posted to our blog for our current series: Losing My Religion...go check it out here.

Ash Wednesday Service 7 pm

Join us this Wednesday night at 7 pm in the Worship Center for an Ash Wednesday Service. We will be doing this with the rest of the church and then around 7:45 move down to the Student Center to wrap up our "Goin All the Way" series. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of believers as a sign of repentance. It marks the beginning of Lent which is 46 days, (40 days not counting sundays) and is a time for believers to prepare themselves for Easter. During that time many people will give up something they enjoy (fasting), soda, sweets, computer, texting, facebook, internet, etc. However, what many people don't understand is that you are also suppose to renew in your life several things: prayer and what some call almsgiving, or justice towards our neighbor. So as we begin the Lent season together I would encourage you to do several things:

1. Attend the Ash Wednesday Service at 7 pm
2. Begin the practice of Fasting...so give up something
3. Begin doing something...emphasis on prayer and blessing other people
4. Visit a blog we have set up for the lent season : www.imlosingmyreligion.blogspot.com
5. Sign up for updates and scriptures through text messages: Send - follow stltrinity to 40404
6. Prepare your heart and your mind for what God wants to do in your life through these 46 days.

Losing My Religion

This is a video we created for our lent series starting this Wednesday with an Ash Wednesday Service and will continue on Sunday mornings at 10:45 am. Come join us as we "LOSE OUR RELIGION" together.  Also visit the blog at www.imlosingmyreligion.blogspot.com

The Impact Of Love

So glad to live in NOCO

My daughter, KJ, has been attending Preschool now for about 5 weeks and I went to pick her up a few minutes early last week.  They were in the gym playing and I noticed the diversity of her 'friends.'  I have to say I am so thankful to live in an area that is so diverse.  I want her to grow up with kids of all colors and for her to not even notice someone's skin color.  My hope is that we all begin to see people as people and not by their class, their skin color, their gender, etc.  But we don't!  We make assumptions and judgements simply by the way one looks or what city they are from or what job they have.  However, I believe God is going to do great things in the days to come in North County and I hope I am able to be a part of it.

Paul said in Galatians 3, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Ice Skating in Forest Park

On February 20th we will be heading to Forest Park to go Ice Skating.  It is only $6.50!  Sign up on here or at theGathering!  We will leave Trinity Church at 6 and return around 9.  You must have a medical release form on file with us to go.