The Blessed Trinity Parish Post
BLESSED TRINITY PARISH POST Good Shepherd~Pleasant Hills~Ridgewood UMCs
June 2026
Vol. 1 No. 5
Pastor’s Note: A Summer of Becoming the Church Blessed Trinity Friends and Family, As we move into summer and the start of our 3rd year together (can you believe it?!?!), I’m excited for the season ahead across our parish. Over these next few months, our worship will be shaped by three mini-series that invite us to grow as individuals and as a parish as we continue asking what it means that God has called us, together, the church. In June, we begin with “Our Stories, God’s Story.” Together, we will remember that our stories are not isolated or disconnected. Each of us carries experiences, gifts, wounds, hopes, and memories that are part of something larger. As a parish — one church in three places — we are learning to see our shared life as a new chapter in God’s ongoing story of grace, healing, and hope. Later this summer, we will explore “Honoring Our Identity.” In many of our recent conversations, people have named something honest and important: sometimes we’re so used to defining ourselves by the roles we play — parent, worker, caregiver, volunteer, leader, helper — that we lose sight of who we are beneath all of that. This series will invite us to consider who we are at the deepest level: beloved children of God. We’ll reflect on how God sees us, how we can honor and care for that identity, and how caring for ourselves can become a faithful witness to those around us. We’ll then turn to “Food and Feeding the World,” looking at the many stories of Jesus, the disciples, and the early church gathering around tables. Again and again in Scripture, meals become places of welcome, disruption, grace, teaching, abundance, and mission. We will ask what these stories can teach us about how we are called to live, welcome others, care for one another, and help feed a hungry world — physically, spiritually, and relationally. Alongside worship, I also hope all y’all will plan to join after each of our parish-wide worship services this summer for our From Vision to Practice: Summer Workshop Series for Being the Church. These gatherings will give us practical ways to live into the themes we’re exploring. In June, we will talk about change, emotion, and faithful conflict. In July, we will focus on Safe Sanctuary, boundaries, and caring well for the vulnerable. In August, we will explore welcome, hospitality, reaching out, and inviting in. My hope is that this summer will not simply be a season of programs, but a season of growth — a time when we listen more deeply to God, to one another, and to the story God is writing through us. May we discover again who we are, whose we are, and how we are being called to be the church together. With hope ~ Rev. Stephanie June 2026
Page 1