Welcome brochure for local church

1. Welcomes You!
The Church of
the Holy Trinity
212 South High Street, West Chester, PA 19382
Phone: 610-696-4640 ~ Fax: 610-696-7625
Email: office@holytrinitywc.com
Website: www.holytrinitywc.com
Schedule of Services
Winter Schedule: September-mid June
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. (Rite I)
10:30 a.m. (Rite II)
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m.
(Chapel of the Ascension
Healing Service)
Summer Schedule: Mid June-August
Sunday: 7:45 a.m. (Rite I)
9:00 a.m. (Rite II)
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m.
(Chapel of the Ascension
Healing Service)
Staff Members
The Rev. Paul S. Hunt, Rector
rector@holytrinitywc.com
The Rev. Karen Kaminskas, Deacon
deacon@holytrinitywc.com
The Rev.Thomas W. Platt
Assoc. Rector Emeritus
Charles de Mets, Minister of Music
music@holytrinitywc.com
Judy Jeffords-Homitz, Bookkeeper
bookkeeper@holytrinitywc.com
Anita Bailey, Parish Administrator
office@holytrinitywc.com
Joanne Fryer, Parish Administrator
office@holytrinitywc.com
Nursery care is available for infants/toddlers
from 9:00-11:30 am every Sunday.
Welcome
Who is God?
Who am I?
Why did God create me?
What does God expect of me?
People step into church for many reasons; often
unknown even to themselves. Yet those reasons
are never unknown to God. As Christians, we
believe it is the Holy Spirit that calls us together
in community. Located at the corner of High and
UnionStreetsinthelargestserpentinestonebuild-
ingintheworld,asafeplaceexistsforyoutosearch
out the answers to life’s deepest questions. While
the journey to find these answers is not always
easy, it is a journey of profound depth and mean-
ing. It is also one we would like to walk with you.
The first step of our journey parallels our first
baptismal promise: “Will you continue in the
apostles’teaching and fellowship, in the breaking
ofthebread,andintheprayers?”Saidanotherway,
our first calling is to gather together in worship, to
sing the praises of our God, to make a joyful noise
unto the Lord, and to acclaim Jesus as our savior.
Another baptismal question is, “Will you seek
and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neigh-
bor as yourself?” Here at Holy Trinity, we strive to
“walk the walk,” acknowledging a Christian life is
a life of service to others. We walk this life believ-
ing that the world outside our doors is equally
important to the one inside. The scriptures are
clear: Jesus had a preferential caring for the less
fortunate, the vulnerable, the powerless, the un-
seen and forgotten among us.
At Holy Trinity you will find a loving Christian
communityrootedinarichtraditionthatvaluesdi-
versity.We do not shy away from the complexities,
ambiguities and challenges of the 21st century. If
you choose to join us in this journey, remember it
does not matter who you are, what you look like,
what you have done in the past, or who you love.
God loves you unconditionally just as you are! So,
please come as you are.
Faithfully yours,
The Rev. Paul S. Hunt, Rector

2. Pastoral Care & Worship:
◊ Flower Memorials
◊ Prayer Chain
◊ Stephen Ministry
Music:
◊ Chancel Choir
◊ Children’s Choir
◊ Handbell Choir
Worship:
◊ Acolytes
◊ Altar Guild
◊ Lay Eucharistic Ministers
◊ Lay Readers
◊ Ushers
Administration, Finance, & Property:
◊ Communications
◊ Finance
◊ Gardening
◊ Human Resources
◊ Office Systems
◊ Property
◊ Vestry
Out-Reach:
◊ Adopted Family Program
◊ Barrels for Haiti
◊ Blood Drive
◊ Catacomb Closet
◊ Friday Night Supper
◊ Ministry of the Bells
◊ Sarah's Circle
◊ Thanksgiving Food Baskets
◊ Trinity Stitchers
◊ Welcoming Ministry
◊ Women of Holy Trinity
Christian Formation & Stewardship:
◊ Baptism Gift Bags
◊ Church Adult Formation & Education
(CAFÉ)
◊ Children, Youth & Family Ministry
◊ Education for Ministry (EfM)
◊ Human Relations Task Force
◊ Journey to Adulthood
◊ Men's Breakfast
◊ Second Thursday Study Group
◊ Stewardship Committee
The Episcopal Church, has its roots in the Church
of England. Like all Anglican churches, the Epis-
copal Church is distinguished by the following
characteristics:
Protestant, yet Catholic:
Anglicanism stands squarely in the Reformed
tradition and considers itself just as directly de-
scended from the Early Church as the Roman
Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. Episco-
palians celebrate the“Mass”in ways similar to the
Roman Catholic tradition, yet do not recognize a
single authority, such as the Pope of Rome.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason:
Episcopalians believe every Christian must build
an understanding and relationship with God’s
Word in the Bible. To do that, God has given us
intelligence and our own experience, which we
refer to as“Reason.”Based on the text of the Bible
itself, and what Christians have taught us through
the ages, we must sort out our own understanding
of it as it relates to our own lives.
Liturgy and Ritual:
WorshipintheEpiscopalChurchis“liturgical.”The
congregationfollowsserviceformsandpraysfrom
texts that don’t change greatly from week to week.
This sameness gives worship a rhythm that be-
comes comforting and familiar to the worshipers.
The Holy Eucharist:
In spite of the diversity of worship styles in the
EpiscopalChurch,theHolyEucharistalwayshasthe
same components and the same shape.
The Liturgy of the Word:
We begin by praising God through song and
prayer, and listen to as many as four readings from
the Bible; usually from the OldTestament, a Psalm,
the Epistles, and the Gospels.The psalm is sung or
recited by the congregation.
A sermon interpreting the readings appointed
for the day is preached. The congregation then
The Episcopal Church
recites the Nicene Creed (written in the Fourth
Century and the Church’s statement of what we
believe).Thecongregationthenpraystogetherfor
the Church, the World, and those in need.
We greet one another with a sign of“peace.”
The Liturgy of the Table:
Standing at the table which has been set with
a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers,
the priest raises his or her hands and greets the
congregation saying “The Lord be With You.”The
EucharisticPrayerisrecitedwhichtellsthestoryof
our faith from the beginning of Creation through
the choosing of Israel to be God’s people, our
continual turning away from God, and God’s call-
ing us to return.
The presider continues with the story of the
coming of Jesus Christ and the night before his
death on which he instituted the Eucharistic meal
(communion)asacontinualremembranceofhim.
The bread and wine is blessed and the congre-
gation recites the Lord’s Prayer. The priest breaks
the bread and offers it to the congregation as the
“gifts of God for the People of God.”The congre-
gation then shares the consecrated bread and
the wine.
All are Welcome
All baptized Christians—no matter age or
denomination—are welcome to “receive com-
munion.”Episcopalians invite all baptized people
to receive, not because we take the Eucharist
lightly, but because we take our baptism so seri-
ously.Visitors who are not baptized Christians are
welcometocomeforwardduringtheCommunion
to receive a blessing.
At the end of the Eucharist, the congregation
prays once more in thanksgiving, and then is
dismissed to continue the life of service to God
and to the World.
Ministries
Taken from the Visitors’Center of the Episcopal Church
website (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/visitors)
ThefollowingHolyTrinityministriesprovidemanyopportunitiestobecomeinvolvedinourparishcommunity.
Every member of our parish has unique talents and abilities which are always welcomed in all aspects of our
parish life. Detailed descriptions and contact information may be found in our GuidetotheMinistries brochure.