Our Ministries

Hi Everyone...

Just a little reminder about one of our social ministries, CaringConnections! Yes CaringConnections does still exist! Although the last couple of years have been challenging for the team and how things have been done, the team has been there meeting the needs of the congregation! Here is a brief description of the team and individual groups within the team!

CaringConnections is a team set up to serve members and friends of HTLC. The mission of its overall objective is to bring God’s gift of caring to those in the church who require and desire it.

The specific need is requested of the group and the group then performs its responsibility or task in response to the communicated need! The team is always mindful and respectful of the privacy of the member's request.

College Student Packages: This group collects and sends out care packages to higher education students. The team requests donations from the congregation when preparing to box the packages. The packages are usually mailed out around Christmas.

DrivingDaisies: This group drives members who are unable to drive themselves, to church. Without this team this person would not be able to attend HTLC.

Health Connections: The purpose of this group is to assist members in church on health issues. On the 3rd Sunday of the month, after both services, everyone can have their blood pressure checked by a nurse. This is a great and easy way to check your blood pressure! Everyone is welcome – and encouraged to take advantage of this service. It only takes a few minutes of your day!

Home Communion: This group offers communion to those who might be unable or too ill to attend church. This could be just on a short term basis or long term, if need be. Mail Communications: This group writes to shut-ins on various holidays or during periods of illness. The purpose is to bring comfort and support during these difficult times of illness, surgeries or death in the family.

Prayer E-Tree: This is a group of people who are ready to pray for anyone who need prayers. When there is a prayer request an email is sent to the members on the prayer tree email group. We recognize and support the power in prayer!

Meals to those at Home/Recovering: This group makes and delivers meals to members who have a need whether due to an illness or being shut-in. There might be a request for meals for a day or 2 or it could be an ongoing long term need.

Shawl Ministry: This team crochets or knits shawls to share with church family members or friends to bring warmth, comfort and peace. The shawls can be found on a shelf in the library area and are available to anyone.

Visitations: This team provides monthly visits to HTLC home-bound members. This very important service provides the member with the personal and spiritual connection that they might otherwise be missing!

CaringConnections is always looking for members to sign-up to be part of the Team! If you have any questions about the team, would like to join the team or know someone who could benefit from any of these services please feel free to contact Mark in the office.

Prayer Shawls

Happy New Year Everyone!

Looking for a project to work on while inside this winter?! What about knitting or crocheting prayer shawls? Just a reminder CaringConnections is and does, throughout the year, accept prayer shawls. For me personally, crocheting has been such a great focus this past year! It is something I have always loved doing but always found other things to do rather than crocheting, until last year! It gives me a sense of focus, calm and peace!

Shawls can be made and dropped off with Mark at the church office.

If you have questions please let me know.

Thank you in advance!

July 2020: "To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow"

It seems so long since we were all together! Everything seems so different now! The things that we once took for granted maybe we are no longer able to do. For some it may be easy to maneuver down this new path but for others it might be a little more challenging. There are at least 2 constants in these times; we are in this together and CaringConnections is here for you. Sure we might not be able to do home visits like we once did but with creativity we can still 'visit' but maybe in a different way! Maybe it means a phone visitation or a drive by stop and wave! Maybe just a periodic note would brighten your day! Where there is a will, there is a way!

This month the team was able to fulfill a request for meals to be delivered. That was done successfully while being mindful of social distancing and the safety of all involved. Our EPrayer team has received numerous prayer requests. No prayer request is too small! There is such power in prayer! These are just a few ways that CaringConnections is still here serving the needs of our congregation.

If there is some way that we can help you please let us know through email at brighamca.cc@gmail.com! Times are different but we are still here for you!

'To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.' (Audrey Hepburn )

April 2020: We're still there for you.

Hi Everyone...

During this time of a 'new normal' I wanted to let you know there is one constant.. CaringConnections is still there and offering support to our church community! We have received many prayer requests that have been shared with the EPrayer team. Meals were provided for a couple weeks for a church member, along with daily phone calls. Visitations are different, we have had to be creative with them but they are still continuing! Shawls are still providing comfort and support! We are communicating with those in need through various means!

So although things are different CaringConnections is still here for you!

Stay Well! Prayers and peace to you all!

February 2020: Join our team!

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this year so that means we are in for an early Spring! I am not sure about you but that makes me think about the things I am looking forward to doing. Gardening! Hiking! Sitting in the yard reading! What about you, what are the things you are looking forward to doing? Joining CaringConnections? We are always looking for members to join the team!

CaringConnections is not a 40 hour a week commitment. It is on a 'as needed' basis like drive someone to church, prepare meals for someone at home, visit a home-bound member, pray for a member that needs prayers, help with college packages, make shawls, write letters/cards or provide health support! It is a great team and all are welcome to join! It will be fun and rewarding while also filling a need!

If you have any questions about the team, would like to join the team or know someone who could benefit from any of these services please feel free to contact Cheryl Brigham at brighamca.cc@gmail.com or leave your contact information with Mark in the office.'

Our Mission

'The mission of CaringConnections is to directly serve the members of the Holy Trinity family. This is done in several different ways:

• monthly blood pressure clinic
• home-cooked meals
• prayer shawls
• an e-Prayer Tree
• mail communications
• college packages
• home visits
• home communion
• transportation to church

We are so grateful to all who volunteer to be a part of this team and provide the gift of caring to others.

If you would like to be a part of this team or have questions about it please let Cheryl know. OR if you know of someone who would benefit from one or more of these services please let Cheryl know at brighamca.cc@gmail.com or Mark at office@htelc.com. Thank you to all that help to make this Team successful and beneficial for others!'

Prayer Shawls

Please remember if you or someone you know would benefit from one of our shawls they can be found in the library on the shelves. Each shawl includes a tag with the following words of love, comfort and support!

'May you gently wrap this shawl around you.

May you be surrounded by its love,

Enfolded in its prayer,

Embraced in its warmth

And cradled in its softness.'

Thank you for 2019!

'To Everyone on the CaringConnections Team.... THANK YOU!

Thank you for all that you do ALL year to make this team so very successful and run so smoothly!

Thank you for bringing caring, compassion and support to the members of the congregation!

Thank you for taking the time out of what can be a very busy life to provide all that you do to the members of the congregation but also to one another on the team!

Thank you for each and every one of you for seeing the need and stepping up to help fulfill that need!

Thank you for caring!

Thank you for being YOU! You ALL do make an important difference on this team and to our church community!

Wishing the the whole team of CaringConnections and the whole congregation a blessed, health and joyous 2020!

Forever grateful!

Cheryl'

Blood Pressure Sundays

Caring Connections 'It’s pretty clear that health care providers are very concerned with blood pressure measurements. At almost every encounter with the health care system, someone checks our “vital signs” – body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Why are we so concerned? The American Heart Association emphasizes that uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a number of serious conditions: heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other serious threats such as kidney problems, aortic aneurysm and others. It is estimated that over 50% of adults in the US have hypertension – and the likelihood of developing hypertension increases as we age. Guidelines for interpretation of blood pressure readings have changed over the years. New guidelines for blood pressure were published earlier this year since evidence points to the need to maintain a blood pressure lower than what was in the past considered acceptable. The good news is that many adults who are found to have blood pressure that is higher than 120/80 (the gold standard) may not need to take medication. There is strong evidence for the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle changes: diet that includes more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and that limits foods high in sodium and unhealthy fats, and a life style that is as physically active as possible.

The only way you will know your blood pressure reading is to have to checked by a health professional at a health facility, a pharmacy, or with a home device – or at church on the 3rd Sunday of the month after both morning worship services. Everyone is welcome – and encouraged to take advantage of this service. It only takes a few minutes of your day!

You might've missed last Sunday's blood pressure check but mark your calendar for the 3rd Sunday in January for the next one!"

DrivingDaisies

DrivingDaisies is much more than giving a ride to church on Sunday for someone who, without it, probably wouldn't be able to go! It's about the interaction! It's about helping someone to be a part of the church community! It's about bringing joy to someone! Its about maybe building a friendship or enriching a friendship! It's about helping to make someone know that they matter!

We currently have 2 people that we provide rides for: 1 in Hampton and 1 in Portsmouth. The Hampton person goes 2 Sundays a month that we have been able to work out a schedule for. We REALLY would love some additional drivers who would be willing to drive the Portsmouth person. You would not be expected to drive every Sunday but it would be great to have a few more people so we could have a rotating schedule! This person prefers to go to the 11am service. If you are willing to be a driver for this person please let Cheryl know at brighamca.cc@gmail.com or (603)997-9695.

If you would like to be a member of this team or you know someone who might need a ride please let Cheryl know. In bringing joy to someone, you will also bring joy to yourself!

December 2019: College Care Packages

College Christmas Care Packages (boxes of goodies and best wishes) are done and in the mail to our college students! The packages were filled, taped and made ready for mailing between services on Sunday 12/1. Thank you to everyone who had a part in this process to bring joy to our college students!

November 2019: What does CaringConnections do?

Hi Everyone...

Have your forgotten what CaringConnections does? Or maybe you weren't sure what the team does. Here is a brief description of the team and individual groups within the team!

CaringConnections is a team set up to serve members and friends of HTLC. The mission of its overall objective is to bring God’s gift of caring to those in the church who require and desire it.

The specific need is requested of the group and the group then performs its responsibility or task in response to the communicated need! The team is always mindful and respectful of the privacy of the member's request.

College Student Packages: This group collects and sends out care packages to higher education students. Currently this team is hard at work putting together College Christmas Care Packages (boxes of goodies and best wishes). They will fill the boxes after the first service on Sunday 12/1.

DrivingDaisies: This group drives members who are unable to drive themselves to church. Currently we have one person that we have been consistently driving to church 2 Sundays a month. Without this team this person would not be able to attend HTLC.

Health Connections: The purpose of this group is to assist members in church on health issues. On the 3rd Sunday of the month, after both services, everyone can have their blood pressure checked by a nurse. This is a great and easy way to check your blood pressure! Everyone is welcome – and encouraged to take advantage of this service. It only takes a few minutes of your day!

Home Communion: This group offers communion to those who might be unable or too ill to attend church. This could be just on a short term basis or long term, if need be.

Mail Communications: This group consists of 5 members who write to shut-ins on various holidays or during periods of illness. They have split up the tasks so 4 team members have each taken on a particular holiday and the 5th person writes when there is illness, surgeries or death in the family.

Prayer E-Tree: This is a group of 34 people who are ready to pray for anyone who need prayers. When there is a prayer request an email is sent to the members on the prayer tree email group. We recognize and support the power in prayer!

Meals to those at Home/Recovering: This group makes and delivers meals to members who have a need whether due to an illness or being shut-in. There might be a request for meals for a day or 2 or it could be an ongoing long term need. Currently the team has set up meal delivery, into January 2020, for a request that was received.

Shawl Ministry: This team crochets or knits shawls to share with church family members or friends to bring warmth, comfort and peace. In October there were 13 shawls on hand at the church. A request for prayer shawls was brought to the congregation. Within a few short weeks and with the help of HTLC knitters and crocheters, that number is now up to 20! The shawls can be found on a shelf in the library area and are available to anyone.

Visitations: This team provides monthly visits to HTLC home-bound members. This very important service provides the member with the personal and spiritual connection that they might otherwise be missing!

If you have any questions about the team, would like to join the team or know someone who could benefit from any of these services please feel free to contact Cheryl Brigham at brighamca.cc@gmail.com or leave your contact information with Mark in the office. Also please be sure to check out our blog on the church website!

Spreading the Love at Holy Trinity

Caring Connection

Posted by Mark Donahue on Thursday, April 19, 2018 @ 3:25 PM

Spreading the Love at Holy Trinity

My fellow members of HT
Please, oh, please get to your feet There’s stuff going on and you should know Of outcomes that are truly neat!

Are you hungry or need perchance to eat? We make meals, if you’re off your feet. We also drive where we must go And offer visits, rides, communion retreats.

College care packages and shawls in a fleet, A gaggle of gals and guys say prayers discreet, In times of need we send cards and letters, you know; Remember the blood pressure clinic: it’s such a treat!

So gather ‘round the bulletin board yellow sheets That tell of what we do, indeed-- We love you all and want to show God’s blessings from us can’t be beat!

Please contact Mark Donahue in the office if anyone in CaringConnections can help you fulfill a need: health related, spiritual, communication, or something to brighten your day. Perhaps to write poetry!!