Repairing, Rebuilding, Reimagining
Rebuilding Community Online and Outdoors in Milford The Rev. Judith Lee Trinity Church, Milford
T
he constraints of the pandemic brought out Trinity, Milford’s creativity as we found new ways to continue the work that’s important to us. Virtual meetings gave Trinity the opportunity to collaborate with other congregations and members of the community in Spiritual Formation for all ages. 20 adults from Trinity; St. Matthew’s, Worcester; the United Parish of Upton; and the Milford community participated in Sacred Ground, a program from the Beloved Community. We collaborated with St. Stephen’s, Westborough on a Lenten study of /Ladder to the Light/ by Steven Charleston, and we have an ongoing monthly “Meditation, Movement, and Music” on Zoom led by a member of Trinity and a friend of the parish. We also partnered with St. Matthew’s, Worcester and the United Parish of Upton for a virtual Sunday School and hybrid Vacation Bible Camp. This enabled us to share costs for curriculum and an additional Zoom account, and to share teaching responsibilities. Attendance grew from four to twelve children in grades K through 6.
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ABU NDANT TIMES
We reimagined ways to reach the wider community with online sales, an online “Twelve Days of Christmas” Raffle, and takeout lunches. The separation during the pandemic was particularly painful for a congregation that finds its joy and fellowship when we gather for meals. In the early days of the pandemic, we
rebuilt fellowship by holding weekly Family Game Nights and Bingo, and “Zoom chats” twice weekly. Throughout 2020, we hosted Zoom listening sessions as we prepared our Parish Profile. When we returned to in-person worship, our front garden became an “outdoor cafe” for coffee hour. ♦
