On Tuesday August 6th, 2019, Trinity Lutheran Church participated at National Night Out Against Crime in the 114th Precinct, an event co-sponsored by the 114th Precinct Community Council and the 11th Civilian Observation Patrol, Inc. We were part of the organizations that met at Astoria Park for the community-driven event. 

Being the “welcome place” Trinity took this opportunity to rediscover the needs in our community as we engaged our neighbors in conversations and talked to them about our many outreach efforts that include the canned food pantry, monthly community supper, and the purpose of our August school supplies drive that culminates on August 25th, 2019 with the Blessings of the Backpacks. 

Our neighbors, from different walks of life and faith practices, were pleased to learn about our year-long efforts to bring our community together. During the month of August, we invite the community to participate in the school supplies drive that will benefit the children in our community and children in an immigrant detention center here in NYC. 

We also took the opportunity to meet members of other churches in Astoria, government agencies such as NYC Family Justice Center in Kew Gardens amongst others, and organizations that have similar goals to keep our communities vibrant and safe.  

There were pony rides for kids, Dunk-A-Police Officer, our Police Officers made and served hot dogs, games, and even a movie night right after the event. National Night Out brought a true sense of community as we all laughed and played together. 

We are grateful for everything the 114th Precinct and Deputy Inspector Osvaldo Nuñez does in our community all year long and pray that our Police Officers are kept safe. 

We look forward to seeing you at National Night Out 2020! 

If you have any questions about our outreach efforts, would like to donate to our food pantry, donate school supplies, or have a need, please email Luisana, the Director of Outreach, at trinitylicoutreach@gmail.com. 

Hello my Trinity Family, the Lord be with you. I feel very blessed and grateful to share with you how the Lord called me to start the ministry I’ve been facilitating for the past two years called “Women of the Bible.” About two years ago I was sitting in my usual pew, and it was Lent, and Pastor was reading one of my favorite stories of Jesus’s ministry, which is the Samaritan woman at the well. The story has often fed me spiritually and it means a lot to me. And as I listened to it I thought to myself, “Jesus did a lot of awesome things, usually with a female follower, why doesn’t anyone talk about that?” 

It is said in the Word that we are made in God’s image, which means I am made in God’s image, Pastor Paul is, and so are all of you here. And I feel that, when you approach the Bible, you go for spiritual nourishment; when I read the Bible I want to hear the Lord, I want to feel Christ’s love, and in order to do that you need to be able to see yourself, and find yourself, in the Word. When you facilitate a feminist Bible study you spend a lot of time talking about that.

I felt that I wanted to share all of the things I loved about the Bible with other people. I wanted to help people see themselves—specifically women—when a lot of times in organized religion we don’t always have the full voice that we should… which is why I’m Lutheran. 

One of the most rewarding things for me is when people will come up to me and say, ‘I never knew this woman’s story and it helped me feel closer to God,’ or ‘it helped give me strength.’ And there are times in my life when I think: God, I need to be brave like Esther. I need to be fearless like Judith. I need to listen and ponder like Mary.

So when you’re able to see yourself in the Word you become closer to the Lord, you’re able to understand your faith a little bit better, you’re able to find comfort in this holy book that’s been gifted to us.

I feel very blessed that I’m at a congregation where my pastor is supportive of such an unusual ministry. I feel thankful for all of you who have supported it over the past two years. And I feel thankful to God for calling me to this service to help people become closer to him. Amen.

Looking back on Queens Pride we are humbled and grateful that we could show our colors, all the colors of the rainbow, and deliver the guiding message of God’s Love, that All Are Welcome!.