TRINITY NEWS
Volume XLIX , Issue 9 ~ September 18, 2026
Rev’s Reflections…
“Arise! Shine! For your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
These words, penned about 2500 years ago, present a vision of a world set to rights by God with Zion positioned as a beacon of hope, prosperity, peace, and wisdom for peoples crushed by war, famine, and internal conflict.
For Isaiah’s listeners, all evidence pointed to a future of unending exile, separation of families, obscurity, and abandonment by God. Isaiah provided a new vision. Looking beyond the bleak present, he imagined a day when families would be reunited and wealth would pour in from unexpected places. He imagined a place so secure it would never need to shut its gates to any comer, and whose people would embody joy and excellence for generations.
What hopeful vision of Trinity’s future lives in your heart?
I’ve heard some say that dreams are cheap. But without something hopeful and joyful pulling us forward, our efforts are likely to be half-hearted at best, bitter at worst. So, here at the beginning of the church program year, I’d like to share part of my dream.
Arise, Trinity – shine! You are the light of the world!
People wounded by hate will walk through your doors and know the healing power of God-With-Us. Doubters, skeptics, and antagonists of the Gospel will find a soft place to land within your walls; their questions will defy easy answers and no one will make them afraid.
Parents will adopt orphaned elders as grandparents, aunts, and uncles to their children. Adults will build trusted relationships with the lost sheep among your community’s teenagers.
You shall never want for anything money can buy, because God will shower you with gifts, good ideas, and resourcefulness. In a world starving for beauty, the arts will flourish here with color and texture and music, and no artistic effort will be rejected.
No one hungry, thirsty, naked, alone, or sick will ever be turned away, because you long to welcome Jesus himself into your lives. You will find joy in restfulness, authenticity, peace-making, and hands-on service to our community.
You will live in the moment with an eye to what is possible for God. The good news – God is present and God’s kingdom is near – will guide all your prayers, discussions, and decision-making.
And God will multiply you as you deepen your relationship to what darkness never overcomes: Eternal Word made human. God will glorify you and you will know with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength that you belong to Christ. And nothing will ever separate you from the love of God.
~ Pastor Macc
Adult Christian Education at Trinity
Building Biblical Literacy
Think you can’t make it through reading the Bible? Think again!
“The Undisputed Letters of Paul, John, and Revelation in 78 days”
Read one – or read them all!
Attend one group – or attend them all!
Saturdays 9:30-10:30 am online at https://bit.ly/TUPCgospels06
Saturdays 11:00-noon in the SW Room in the PATH building
Sundays 8:15-9:15 am in the SW Room in the PATH building
Even if you haven’t read every word, COME – YOU BELONG!
Informing Christian Ethics
The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity
By CrossWalk America founder, Rev. Eric Elnes
A conversation for disillusioned, doubtful, curious, and “at sea” Christians – and those who love them! We will explore twelve tenets of “emerging Christianity” which seeks, as Jesus did, to recommit to what’s best about our religious tradition, while also radically challenging the status quo. Together, we will practice deep listening and speaking our truths with grace.
Books are available on Amazon.com or in the church office.
STARTS OCTOBER 4 at 11:00 am in West Fellowship Hall
OCTOBER
BIRTHDAYS
10/1 Ron Leuwerke
10/2 Loren Bartlett
10/2 Bob Lester
10/3 Wyatt Dyer
10/3 Annabelle Endriss
10/3 Lucy Endriss
10/3 Jennifer Overton
10/5 Kathie Farris
10/5 Becky Allen
10/8 Susan Lathrop
10/8 Ross Pinamonte
10/10 Pat Wilson
10/11 Steve Sayler
10/13 Lisa Damman
10/13 Matt Kruse
10/14 Rachel Riebhoff
10/15 Jay Claerhout
10/15 Janella Guilford
10/17 Michelle Cross
10/19 Becca Van Dam
10/21 Peggy Kruse
10/25 Laurie Bowers
10/27 Kyle Coghlan
10/29 Dawn Ackerson
10/29 Elena Grissom
10/30 Dave Grissom
10/31 James Damman
IN OUR PRAYERS
Jim McClymond and his family for the passing of Vernal McClymond.
Geri Bartletts’s son, Shawn, for strength and healing.
John & Bev Anderson for strength and healing.
AREA CARE CENTERS
The Village Care Center
Everett Brown, Betty Labertew
Westview Care Center
John & Bev Anderson, Sandy Newell
PICTORIAL DIRECTORY
SIGN-UP
The following dates and times have been set for our next Trinity Pictorial Directory photo sessions:
Thursday, October 15 from 2:00-8:36 pm
Friday, October 16 from 2:00-8:36 pm
Saturday, October 17 from 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Scheduling can be done online with the following:
- Log into www.ucdir.com
- Click on Photography Session Sign-up
- Church Code: ia379
- Member Password: trinitymember
From there you can choose a date and time for your picture. If you have more than five family members being photographed, please reserve two appointments consecutively (such as 6:12 and 6:24). For questions call 419-522-5011. Contact the church office to change or cancel your photography appointment.
Appointments fill up quickly, so schedule as soon as possible to secure your preferred date and time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARISE! SHINE!
Join us for the Second Annual
GrandPEOPLE Sunday!
A day celebrating the gifts of the generations!
9:30 am Worship led by the Praise Ensemble
10:30 am Food, crafts, games and a HOT AIR BALLOON at Barker Park
Martha Morning Circle will meet on Wednesday, October 14 at 9:15 am in the Fellowship Hall. Sandy Denning will be our hostess and Susan Tinder will lead us in lesson 2 from our study books, “Connected in Christ.” Hope you can join us for fellowship, study and a short business meeting.
SWAT (Supper Wednesdays at Trinity) – Join us from 5-6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall each Wednesday. Meals are free and open to the public. Free-will donations will be accepted. If your committee or group would like to host a meal, please use the link below to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E45A9AC2AA6FD0-65153469-swat
Trinity youth groups meet on Wednesday evenings in the PATH building.
Preschool – 5th grade 6:15-7 pm
Middle School Youth 6:15-7:15 pm
High School Youth 6:15-7:15 pm
Wednesday nights are better together!
The next Trinity News deadline is Wednesday, October 21. Articles must be turned into the church office by 10:00 am. Please e-mail submissions to trinityupc@dwx.com. If you have any questions, please call Wendy at 515-961-6231.
Trinity El Salvador Delegation – Trinity will be sending its next delegation to visit our communities in El Salvador March 10-17, 2027. It will be here before we know it and we have a lot of planning to do! Please let Betty Dyer (Delegation Coordinator) or Renee Little (Delegation Leader) know if you are committed to traveling on this trip by October 1, 2026. Even if you have told someone that you are interested, now is the time to make a solid commitment. The cost for this year’s trip last July was approximately $1500 per person so it will be close to that amount. If this trip doesn’t work into your schedule and you are interested in traveling to meet our brothers and sisters in El Salvador, please consider our next trip in July 2028. We are already building a list of travelers and would be happy to add you!
Mark your calendars for our first Delegation meeting on October 25, 2026 – more details to come!
Operation Christmas – Volunteers are needed to assist with food and gift applications at The Helping Hand (109 E. Clinton). Applicants are caretakers and guardians of children age 18 and below who live warren county. Applications will be taken from October 20-November 19. Tuesdays: 12:30-2:30 pm, Wednesdays: 5:30-7:30 pm, Thursdays: 9-11 am, Saturdays: 9-11 am. This popular and generous program helps hundreds of children in Warren County each year. For more information, please contact Margaret Vernon at 515-961-6748.
Highlights from the August 26 Session Meeting
- Outgoing Elder Appreciation extended to Marieta Grissom, Dick Tinder, Sue Sorden and Amy Fredricks as they complete their terms on Session.
- Discussion of Ministry Team Assignments.
- Set a date for Elder Training – October 10 from 8:30-11:30 am.
- Approval for Generosity Team and TEST to run a fundraiser from August 30 to September 13 to supply food baskets to our OSP families impacted by this summer’s crop failure.
- Approval for TEST to add four more families to Trinity’s OSP ministry, making a total number of families served 44 (22 in each community).
- Information from A&F on Iowa Labor Law Compliance in Trinity’s payroll practices.
- Approval for Personnel to approve the contract with Chris Robins through December 2026.
- Recognition of Members – Paul & Rachael Wilson for shepherding the middle school students at Synod School and for their continued service as youth leaders.
World Communion Offering – A gift to the World Communion Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of conflict and injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this offering to connect with the global witness of Christ’s peace. Mid councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. The remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative projects of education and Christian witness. Trinity will receive the World Communion Offering on World Communion Sunday, October 4. Thank you for your generosity.
Annual Generosity Campaign: October 2026
Christian life is an offering of one’s self to God. In the Lord’s Supper, we are presented with the costly self-offering of Jesus Christ for the life of the world. As those who have been claimed and set free by his grace, we respond with gratitude, offering him our lives, our spiritual gifts, and our material goods (PC(USA) Book of Order, W-3.0411, “Offering”).
Every year, we set aside a few weeks in autumn to thoughtfully practice generosity. This practice goes well beyond keeping an institution financially solvent. Generosity opens human hearts as much as prayer, Bible study and worship do. Indeed, giving is a prayer of praise, a lesson in maturing in faith, and an act of grateful worship.
As we each discern how to provide for God’s ongoing and emerging work at Trinity, we may leverage our investments alongside our present income. In conversation with your financial advisor, please consider these suggestions for making your offerings easier and richer (and possibly save you some tax liability):
- ACAT (Automatic Customer Account Transfer Service): Electronic transfer of mutual funds
- Gifting appreciated stock: Allows you to avoid income tax on the appreciated value of stocks
- Direct transfer of investment monies into Trinity’s Edward Jones account: No fees are imposed on the giver and monies are paid to Trinity immediately
To explore these options, contact or ask your investment advisor to contact Trinity’s Edward Jones advisor, Andy Leach, at 515-961-5367, or visit his office at 123 S Howard.
Feel free to contact a member of the Generosity Ministry Team with questions: Barb Yearous, Robert Endriss, Ron Leuwerke, Al Farris, Maurice Dyer and Tom Westbrook.
The Church in its worship and service is a living sign of the reign of God, which is both a present reality and a future promise. The Church’s activities do not bring about God’s realm; they are our grateful response to the grace of God at work in the world (PC(USA) Book of Order, W-5.0401, “The Reign of God”).
TRINITY STAFF
Pastor – Rev. Erica MacCreaigh
Office Administrator – Wendy Dowell
Minister of Music – Mark Koskamp
Chancel Bells & Calvin Choristers Director – Chari Kruse
Chancel Choir Accompanist – Anna Lackaff
Calvin Choristers Accompanist – Christine Neumeier
Children and Youth Director – Amy Fredricks
Middle School Youth Directors – Paul & Rachael Wilson
High School Youth Director – Sarah Gautama
Custodian – Chris Robins
Financial Secretary – Betty Dyer
Nursery Attendant – Juliana VanDam