The Blessed Trinity Parish Post
BLESSED TRINITY PARISH POST Good Shepherd~Pleasant Hills~Ridgewood UMCs
July 2026
Vol. 1 No. 6
Parish Friends and Family, As we step into July, we’re also stepping into something worth celebrating: the beginning of our 3rd year together as a cooperative parish. That is no small thing! Over these last 2 years, God has been doing something among us. We have learned new rhythms. We’ve prayed, worshiped, served, studied, laughed, wrestled, and dreamed together. We’ve discovered, again and again, that we are not 3 isolated churches trying to make it on our own. We are 1 church in 3 places, learning what it means to share life, ministry, mission, and hope together. One of the great gifts of this past year has been our monthly parish-wide worship services. These gatherings have given us space to remember that we belong to one another. We’ve heard different voices, worshiped in different sanctuaries, shared meals and conversations, and built relationships with people we may not have known otherwise. Each time we gather, I see the Spirit weaving us more deeply together. And that weaving has not only happened on Sunday mornings. We’ve seen new short-term groups and studies take shape, like our Discipleship 101 classes, our first Spiritual Direction Group, and our Advent and Lenten studies and workshops. These spaces have helped us grow as disciples of Jesus and as a parish family. We’ve also seen longer-term groups continue to form and strengthen us, including the men’s group and our (Grown) Girl Talk gatherings. These groups remind us that discipleship isn’t just about what we learn; it’s also about who we become together. We’ve also come together in beautiful ways to serve our neighbors. Our Free Store has officially launched, and we’re already seeing what a gift it can be to our community. We’re still working on getting the word out and are looking for a few more volunteers, but we’ve already welcomed many shoppers from the wider community. We’ve also begun building partnerships, including with Five Below and GameStop, and we’re in conversation with other stores at Shoppes at Parma about possible donations and support. In addition, the Caring Breakfast has been added on the opposite months from the Caring Dinner, giving us another opportunity to feed and welcome our neighbors. Alongside these ministries, there have been countless other ways y’all have shown up for one another and for our community: volunteering, praying, preparing meals, teaching, visiting, inviting, listening, encouraging, and offering yourselves in quiet and faithful ways. There’s so much to celebrate! And, at the same time, we know there is important work ahead. As a parish, we’re continuing to clarify our overall mission and vision. We’re asking big questions: Who is God calling us to be? What are the needs of our community? How can we use our people, resources, buildings, time, and energy in ways that truly serve that calling? These aren’t easy conversations, but they’re faithful ones. I’m proud of the work our Vision Team has already done, and I’m grateful for the conversations our leadership teams are having, even when the pieces are hard. In August, we’ll hold a Vision and Leadership Conference to continue this work, deepen these conversations, and begin planning next steps. Please continue to pray for our leaders, our congregations, and our parish as we listen together for God’s direction. There are also many exciting things happening in July and just beyond. On July 5, we will gather for parish-wide worship at Pleasant Hills. Following worship, our workshop will be Blessed Boundaries: Safe Sanctuary Training. This training is important for our shared ministry and will be required for everyone participating in the Mission “Trip,” as well as anyone working with children or youth. Additional training opportunities will be offered in the coming weeks, but July 5 is a great time to complete it together. That same day, Marilyn Coney, our new Parish Care Coordinator, will be with us in worship. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet her before we begin launching new trainings and ministries under her leadership.
We also have a chance to be visible in our community through the Fourth of July Parade, which passes right July 2026
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