May/June The Scoop

THE SCOOP 2015 MAY / JUNE

TILL KINGDOM COME VI.XI-XIII.MMXV

THE SCOOP SENIOR PASTORS Rich & Robyn Wilkerson EDITOR IN CHIEF Richardy Blanchard MANAGING EDITOR Hollie Hepler CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Richardy Blanchard Rich Wilkerson, Sr Kathie Hardcastle Chelsea Gaspard Rich Wilkerson, Jr Joe Hepler Faith Falodun

IN THIS ISSUE

ARTICLE / CELEBRATING WOMEN

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FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR / MY FATHER’S HEART

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ARTICLE / THE CHURCH HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

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ARTICLE / YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN ME @ SUMMER BLAST

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Mailing Address: TRINITY CHURCH PO Box 680820 North Miami, FL 33168

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOUR TRINITY

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Visit us at: NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS 655 NW 125th Street N. Miami, Florida 33168

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT / CREATIVE NIGHTS

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ARTICLE / TILL KINGDOM COME

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HIGHLIGHT / MLI DIRECTOR JOE HEPLER

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HIGHLIGHT / THE VOICES OF TRINITY

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CONNECT GROUPS

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GET INVOLVED / MINISTRIES AT TRINITY

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GRAPHIC DESIGN Kerry Phillips Kerri Keith-Spitaleri PHOTO CREDITS Andy Roberts Photography, Bryan Benitez, Rabson Senat, Emmanuel Hernandez, Taylor Wilkerson, Alicha Desir, Yokany Reyes, Kerry Phillips, Candice St. Sartin, Shemir Dauphin

TRINITY CHURCH.TV

MIAMI GARDENS CAMPUS Trinity Christian Academy Peacemakers Family Center 17801 NW 2nd Avenue Miami Gardens, FL 33169 786-888-LIFE (5433) 786-888-HELP (4357) www.trinitychurch.tv www.peacemakers.com Watch our services online at: www.trinitychurch.tv Follow us on Twitter @RichWilkerson @RobynWilkerson @PeacemakersCom @TrinityMiami THE SCOOP is a bimonthly publication produced by Peacemakers-Trinity Church Incorporated, a non-profit corporation, Miami, FL USA © 2015. THE SCOOP MAGAZINE. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Are you interested in submitting an article or a testimony? Please submit to rblanchard@ trinitychurch.tv or mail to Trinity Church, ATTN: Richardy Blanchard.

When I think of spring, I think of flowers blooming, April showers and of course Mother’s Day! This holiday is one of the most observed holidays in America and around the world. Statistics have shown that phone traffic spikes 37% to calls home and around $14.6 billion is spent on gifts for moms! At Trinity Church, we take the time to honor all of the incredible women at our annual Girlfriends’ Brunch. Although it falls on Mother’s Day weekend it’s our mission to observe ALL the women in our lives. Our theme this year is LOVE ON LOCK! We are privileged to have Grammynominated group FOREVER JONES as our featured artist! FOREVER JONES is well known for hits such as He Wants it All, Hold Me Still, and Get Ready. THE SCOOP had the opportunity to ask the women of FOREVER JONES the importance of celebrating and honoring mothers and daughters of all ages.

CELEBRATING WOMEN

Mother and Cofounder, Kim Jones, said: “I have lived as a daughter, sister, mother, and currently, I am enjoying the privilege, and honor of Inspirational words with Forever Jones Grandmother. Or as my grandyummies refer to me as “TaTa”. I honor and celebrate my mother who is the most incredible example of everything that God had in mind when he created a woman! She is not perfect, but perfect for the title of “Mother”, by continuing the legacy of giving JESUS, I have given my daughters broad, and strong shoulders on which to stand to go further and do more for the Kingdom of God than I could in my lifetime.”

Wife and mother of two beautiful daughters, D’Jeniele Jones, chimed in, saying: “I love being a homemaker, with the unique privilege of traveling along side my family in ministry. Being in ministry alongside my family has caused me to have a lot more respect for women in my family. I see them as strong Women of God and his business partners.”

Younger daughter Dominique “Doe” Jones added: “FOREVER JONES is a family oriented ministry. We focus on connecting families with God. Being in ministry with my family has made me a very strong leader. I’ve learned to speak my mind and obtain my own voice. I have had such an amazing time hanging out with my family members and doing life with them.”

So many lessons can be learned from the FOREVER JONES group, they have learned to do life with each other and still honor the women they are doing life with. With all the hustle and bustle of shopping for Mother’s Day, don’t lose sight of the importance of honoring the special women in your life. Take this day and everyday to stop and celebrate the women (mother, sister, daughter, and friend) in your life!

2016

GIRLFRIENDS BRUNCH SATURDAY MAY 9TH

10:30am or 1:30pm

We’re celebrating mothers & daughters of all ages with music, entertainment, food & so much more! Featuring Grammy-nominated music inspiration FOREVER JONES!

$20 per ticket. Or buy 4 tickets get the 5th ticket free! Childcare is $3 by reservation only.

Register today at trinitychurch.tv!

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My Father’s Heart COMMITMENT IS A CHOICE

by Rich Wilkerson, Sr

Did you know the word commitment has two different definitions? One involves dedication to something; the other is an obligation that restricts personal freedom. To me those are drastically different situations, but if you think about it the only difference is your state of mind when you make the commitment. Is it voluntary—a commitment of the heart, or do circumstances outside of your control force the commitment on you?

When I look at the commitments in my life, I can’t help but think about how blessed I am. My commitments are all born out of dedication! They all take work, but I don’t think of any of them as work.

• I am committed to my marriage to an amazing, talented woman. I wasn’t forced into my marriage, I chose to pursue and adore Robyn, and I am blessed to call her my wife. I renew that commitment every day.

• I made a commitment to raise four godly boys, and I remain committed to supporting them as they each answer the call God has placed on their lives. My boys bring joy and wonder to my life. And let’s not forget my gorgeous daughter-in-loves and grand darlings! All of my children are my happiest legacy.

• I committed to answer the call to ministry God placed on my life. Then I committed to take the Gospel around the world. Not only have I been able to travel to incredible places and meet wonderful people, I had the opportunity to watch God work in and through millions of lives. I remain committed to the community God has called me to here in Miami, and to my remarkable Trinity family!

Do you see a trend here? Every one of these commitments, these dedications to something outside of myself, actually enriches my life! More than that, every commitment in my life affects my larger community.

A FATHER’S COMMITMENTS

I love being a father. To me it is a precious gift and the most important responsibility of my life. I was blessed with an amazing father, John Wilkerson. His dedication (commitment) to his family, his community, and his role as a spiritual leader shaped my life from day one. I grew up learning the importance of compassion, the value of hard work, and the amazing power of love.

My father taught me the significance of supporting your children, and of correcting them when they need it. He taught me what it is like to be a leader, both in and outside of the home. Some of the most important lessons I learned from him where not those taught on purpose, but those I learned by watching him fulfill his commitments as he interacted with others. I learned how to be a man who cares, who listens, and who responds. These are all lessons I’ve worked to pass on to my sons.

And they are lessons I’m sure they will pass on to their own children.

My father followed the biblical example of fatherhood. He changed countless lives in the

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world, starting with his children and extending to every life touched by those children. All of the work Robyn and I do in Miami is a direct result of the model taught to us by the biblical examples of our fathers.

A COMMUNITY OF FATHERS

The role of the father is vitally important in the Bible.

Not only is Scripture full of instructions for fathers, God’s Word also contains many reminders that fathers represent the role God meets for all of humanity.

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).

Fathers are to love their children, protect them, guide them, and correct them just as God loves, protect, guides, and corrects His people. This biblical role of a father is important not only in the family; it spills over and influences the community as well.

My heart breaks when I see the children in Miami who have little or no contact with their fathers. My father had an important role in my life, in shaping me into who I am.

My father was also a living embodiment of God’s love. Because I understood and experienced my father’s love, I was and am able to understand and fully experience God’s love.

I love being a father...

It is a precious gift

In Miami, the number of single-parent homes is over 57%. This is 20% higher than the national average.

Most of these singlefamily homes survive at or below the poverty level. The children in these homes have often never experienced a father’s love. They have never experienced the biblical model of the father and mother working together to raise children to understand and embrace the love God grants each of us.

It is hard to accept something as true if you haven’t experienced it yourself. If you have never experienced the unconditional love of a parent, how can you ever expect and believe you are worthy of the unconditional, uncompromising love of an all-mighty, perfect God? As Followers of Christ, our commitment, our dedication, should be to step into that gap.

We are to go out and share God’s unconditional love with those around us. We most go out and stand in as “fathers” to those who have never experienced the love of an earthly father. We do this to build a community of believers who finally have the opportunity to experience God the Father’s Love.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him” (1 JOHN 3:1).

My ultimate commitment, the ultimate dedication of my heart, is to reach out to those who don’t know our heavenly Father.

I make a commitment to never stop sharing God’s love with those around me.

I make a commitment to serve the community He has called me to. I make a commitment to let every facet of my life, every commitment I make, reflect His love in my life. I make this commitment with a free and open heart. Will you make the same commitment?

Rich & Robyn Wilkerson are the Senior Pastors of Trinity Church in Miami, FL and founders of Peacemakers ministries. They have been married for over 40 years and have 4 children and 2 grandchildren.

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THE CHUR CH HEARD ROUND THE WOR LD by Richardy Blanchard

IT BEGAN LIKE ANY REGULAR SUNDAY service at Trinity Church. Then Pastor Rich unexpectedly called the congregation to stand to their feet and directed us to turn and look towards the south. He began calling out the various cities, states & countries positioned south of the church.

Immediately he had everyone turn their attention west and did the same.

Then north, and then finally east. Each time he directed our sight to a specific direction he asked, “Do you see what I see?”

In that moment we weren’t sure where he was going with his sermon but the excitement in his voice began to stir something in our hearts.

We wanted to see what he saw! We sat down still puzzled but we knew from that day forth that Trinity Church would never be the same. Pastor Rich’s face beamed with joy in a way I had only seen a few times before.

I knew at that moment the unexpected was about to happen in the life of Trinity Church. God was about to do something beyond our wildest dreams. God was about to do what only He can do: the impossible. That day Pastor Rich revealed that we were launching three more Trinity campuses: Trinity San Diego, Trinity Harlem and Vous Church downtown.

Since the announcement many changes have taken place. Families have relocated, interest meetings have been held and renovations have begun. Many of you who were present for that unforgettable sermon may be wondering how things are going with our additional campuses. I had the opportunity to get the latest scoop on our campuses and our new campus pastors.

VOUS CHURCH

Our Vous Church is led by Pastors Rich Jr and DawnCheré Wilkerson. They had a burning desire to reach Downtown/South Beach area of Miami with the hope of Jesus ever since their first Vous Conference in South Beach four years ago. When asked about Vous Church they said: “Living in a city with millions of people and so many isolated and alone, the need for the Gospel to be furthered has never been greater. Over the last two years we have been working with the leadership of Trinity to cast vision and plan for the 2015 launch.

The mission is very simple - to bring people who are far away from God close to God. As we often say at Trinity, Jesus is our message and people are our heart. Vous Church, just like Trinity, is a place where ordinary people worship and serve an extraordinary God. Our pursuit is not religion but a personal relationship with God.

vouschurch.com @vouschurch

Last year when we announced the launch of Vous Church we didn’t have a location or a launch team, and definitely no staff, but we knew that if we took the first step of obedience then God would start to reveal the journey step by step before us. Launching Vous church has brought us back to the beginning of the process: casting vision, gathering a team and starting outreach. And it all rests on the foundation of praying crazy faith filled prayers God is our only hope! We don’t have a permanent gathering place for Sundays yet, but we have had three gatherings at the Historic Lyric Theater and they have both been very special. Every other week our Vous Crews gather all over the city for small group fellowship and growth. One thing we have established since the beginning – there is no rush to pull it all together quickly. Healthy things grow. Our focus is to keep it healthy and trust that God’s timing is perfect. It’s been thrilling to see people who were isolated and alone in our big city find friendship and faith!

TRINITY SAN DIEGO

The Trinity San Diego Campus is led by Campus

Pastors Todd and Katie Corrigan, who join Founding Pastors Bob and Claudia Maddux and Spanish Pastor David Torres. Bob and Claudia felt the nudge to follow Jesus and are now transitioning their ministry efforts to a more world-wide humanitarian effort. The Corrigan’s and their two kids

First performance of Living Last Super this past March at The Connection – Trinity San Diego.

Carter (4-years) and Kennedy (7-months) have relocated from Tacoma, Washington. Also several servant leaders have committed to move from Tacoma, Washington to San Diego to help build the church in the areas of youth ministry, children’s ministry and administrative assistance. When asked about the move to San Diego, Todd and Katie said: “This process officially began in conversation, a few months ago to be a part of this move, but we would have to say that this started in both of our hearts years ago. God had begun to speak to us about leading in a pastoral capacity as a team

theconnectionsd.com @ConnectionPoway

in 2012. Since then, we have been waiting to see His timing and the assignment He had for us finally aligned. This is a step of faith and we have complete peace that God has ordered our steps specifically for this. We believe it is our personal mission to mobilize and equip the church to follow Jesus’ command: to love each other, so that they can, in turn, love their community (JOHN 13:34-35). We cannot wait to see what He will do through Trinity in San Diego! There is so much opportunity to share the message of Jesus to this community. We get to actually BE the church.

To show people that Jesus is the one who died for

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them, to not only extend the invitation of Heaven, but to live fuller, richer, and more complete lives here on this earth. To be the extension of Jesus’ hands and feet by loving people where they’re at, and providing opportunities for them to turn around and do the same.”

TRINITY HARLEM

Our Trinity Harlem Campus is led by Pastors Taylor and Kristen Wilkerson. The newlyweds were married in October 2014 and traveled the world until moving to NYC in January 2015. From the start, they felt that it was essential for them to live in the same area where they would be doing ministry. When asked about the new adventures of Trinity Harlem, they said: “We have been amazed at the opportunities to connect with individuals and fami-

www.trinityharlem.com @trinityharlem

lies in our city, some in need of basic living necessities, others starting brand new businesses. What we’ve realized about Harlem is that there is a lot of talk about following God, but perhaps little follow-through. Church is a part of culture, but not necessarily a part of character because many do not feel like they “belong” in the religious settings. We believe we are undeniably called to create a community where people truly belong before they believe. Our first interest meeting brought out 50 people who learned of our church mostly through social media. Countless people shared with us that they specifically received Instagram “screenshots” and decided to come see what we were all about. We are growing our teams and are anticipating launching connect groups this summer as we prepare for our launch date this fall. God has truly blessed us with the coolest, most diverse group of people, passionate about reaching our city.

Our facility is beautiful but in need of renovations and an elevator before we are able to use it for services. It is essential to us that our building is accessible to those who are disadvantaged. We have summer teams filling up our entire schedule in the next few months to work alongside us so we can see our facility packed and open seven days a week in the fall. There is no doubt that God has an amazing plan to

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work through us and make the impossible possible. We are so thankful and excited!! Our vision is to see the lost found, the poor sustained and thriving, and a community dedicated to a new life in the teachings and person of Jesus Christ.”

TEAM NIGHTS: 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, 6/28 @7pm (contact Trinity Harlem for more details).

HEART FOR HARLEM OUTREACH: 6/27 @ St. Nicholas Park in Harlem, NYC

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

It’s still hard to believe that just a few months ago, I was sitting in the congregation as Pastor Rich delivered that faithbuilding sermon “Do you see what I couldn’t be more I see?” and now, excited about the growth months later, things Trinity is experienchave already being.

It is always amazgun to shift. In ing how God meets our just a few months needs when we step out we’ve launched do what He calls us to three new camdo! He gives us MORE puses, grown so we can do MORE. our North Miami With our new campuses Campus and renowe will be able to reach vated our Miami more people in more places. Trinity Church Gardens Campus in Harlem is already to the point where reaching out and getting it’s almost unrecto know the commuognizable. If God nity. In San Diego, the could make such Church is ready to go in a huge impact in to the community and just a short amount share the love of Jesus. of time, imagine Vous Church is off to a what He can do great start and is going in a few years or to change lives in South even by the year Beach! With the support 2020? Right now of our amazing Trinity my mind can’t refamily, we are going to ally comprehend introduce people across it all but my heart the United States to the is completely open amazing power of Jesus’ love. Together we are doto anything. With ing MORE!” ­— Pastor God, all things are Rich, Sr possible. This is the season that we, Trinity Church, must surrender all to Him and allow Him to do only what HE CAN DO, which is always MORE than all that we could ask or think, according to His power that works in us.

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Richardy Blanchard is drama director at Trinity Church and is constantly searching for & displaying examples of God’s love, stories of redemption and victories from hurt.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME MENTORING YOUNG SCHOLARS

BY KATHIE HARDCASTLE

We call them SCHOLARS. Scholars who have purpose, passion and unprecedented potential to be the most Godly and inspiring future leaders of the world. This is the name we choose to call each child that enrolls in our Trinity Church CDF Freedom Schools® Program called SUMMER BLAST.

During this eight-week adventure each scholar spends time engaged in reading and theme-based, hands-on activities as outlined in the Integrated Reading Curriculum. Each year we have young educated adults who come to give back to the community by joining the team as a Servant Leader Intern. The scholars look up to these interns and enjoy building lifelong mentorship relationships with them. Our SLIs motivate our scholars to excel higher in their pursuit of education, such as fueling a desire for reading. Reading is a cornerstone of the program. Servant Leader interns lead the scholars in reading several excellent children’s books throughout the summer. These books feature heroes, heroines and settings that reflect the scholar’s own cultural images and history. Classroom activities related to the day’s reading use a variety of teaching models, including cooperative learning, role-playing, and group discussions. These teaching models also include reading aloud, paired reading, creative writing, or visual arts. This range of activity ensures that scholars with diverse experiences, talents, and levels of confidence in reading and verbal

expression are actively engaged. To emphasize the importance and joy of reading, scholars and teachers “Drop Everything And Read” silently for 15 minutes, choosing from a rich selection of reading material available from the CDF Freedom Schools® site library.

Our scholars will participate in CDF Freedom Schools® Extra Curricular Activities. These are well-planned music, dance, or other culturally enriching activities that are related to the themes presented in the Integrated Reading Curriculum. Field trips that expand the scholars’ horizons may also fill the day.

In addition, scholars have the incredible opportunity each year at SUMMER BLAST to express their unique gifts and talents at the summer recital. This year we will be presenting “Toy Story”! Our Trinity Church CDF Freedom Schools® Recital is the culminating event to a summer full of literacy and culturally enriching experiences. The recital is articulated through visual arts, drama, dance, and song.

Our Freedom School® Creative Arts Team work hard to give students the full experience of putting on a Broadway musical with lights, costumes, songs, individual acting classes and endless opportunities.

Our efforts are to develop personal growth, confidence, and exploration of new and exciting activities for your child. Being a part of SUMMER BLAST and “Toy Story” will be an incredible opportunity for your child and the entire family!

Kathie Hardcastle, M.A. is Director of Education for our TCA and Freedom School after care programs.

JUNE 15 – AUG 6 7:30AM – 4PM

Aftercare: 4PM – 6PM

Trinity Church CDF Freedom Schools® Program

ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS | SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

For information go to: trinitychristianacademymiami.org

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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOUR TRINITY? May and June are filled with MORE service and MORE compassion! This season we have amazing guest speakers, incredible recitals, and many more creative ways to express compassion to our community at large. We also have the opportunity to serve our community and the nation through VOUS CONFERENCE. Hold on to this calendar to make sure you’re up to date on THE SCOOP here at Trinity Church. Not sure what an event is? Check the back page to see descriptions of our many ministires.

SPECIAL GUESTS: We’re honored to welcome special guests Tim Ross (4/26), Annie Lobert (5/3 @5:30), musical guests Forever Jones (5/10) & Jim Raley (5/24).

MEMORIAL DAY BACKYARD BASH & CHILDREN’S SPRING RECITAL: Celebrate and honor the bravery of our fallen heroes this MEMORIAL Memorial Day Weekend DAY BACK- with food, entertainment YARD BASH and an extraordinary Children’s Spring Recital.

DNA: Our monthly service for all Servant Leadership outlets — Connect, Grow and Serve. Maximize your unique gifts, skills, and talents by being a part of Trinity Church’s Servant Leadership. We encourage you to come to DNA and join a team.

TRINIT Y CHURCH SAN DIEGO: Introducing our new campus Pastors Todd & Katie Corrigan.

S M T W TH F S S M T W TH

LOVE ON LOCK GIRLFRIENDS BRUNCH: This will be a special time where we will celebrate mothers and daughters of all ages with music, entertainment, food and so much more! Featuring Grammy-nominated music inspiration FOREVER JONES! Tickets are just $20! Select a 10:30am or 1:30pm brunch time.

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SUNDAY SERVICES WITH SPECIAL GUEST: TIM ROSS GROW WK 6 – 1:30PM

MAY

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SUNDAY SERVICES WITH FOREVER JONES / MOTHER’S DAY / BABY DEDICATION GROW WEEK 5 – 1:30PM

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CONNECT GROUP NEW LEADER TRAINING – 7PM GROW WK 6 – 7:30PM

GROW WEEK 5 – 7:30PM

RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM VOUS CONF RALLY NIGHT

RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

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iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

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iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM GROW WK 6 – 7:30PM

30 SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM GROW WEEK 3 – 10AM

SUNDAY SERVICES WITH SPECIAL GUEST: ANNIE LOBERT / COMMUNION GROW WEEK 4 – 1:30PM GROW WEEK 4

RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM GROW WEEK 4 – 7:30PM

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SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM LOVE ON LOCK GIRLFRIENDS BRUNCH – 10:30AM OR 1:30PM

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iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

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UNITED NIGHT – 6:30PM iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM GROW WEEK 5 – 7:30PM

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SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM GROW WEEK 5 – 10AM

SUNDAY SERVICES / WATER BAPTISM GROW WK 6 – 1:30PM GROW WK 6 – 7:30PM

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM VOUS CONF RALLY NIGHT

iPRAY – 12PM DNA – 7PM

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iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM GROW WK 6 – 7:30PM

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SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM GROW WK 6 – 10AM

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SUNDAY SERVICES WITH SPECIAL GUEST: JIM RALEY / PENTECOST PLEDGE GROW WEEK 7 – 1:30PM MEMORIAL DAY BASH

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MEMORIAL DAY GROW WK 7 – 7:30PM

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

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iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

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iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM GROW WK 7 – 7:30PM TCA GRADUATION MGC – 11:00AM

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SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM GROW WK 7 – 10AM

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SUNDAY SERVICES / PENTECOST OFFERING / COMMUNION GRADUATION SUNDAY

RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM VOUS CONF RALLY NIGHT

iPRAY – 12PM VOUS CONF REHEARSALS – 7PM

7 8 9

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VOUS CONFERENCE – Day 1

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VOUS CONFERENCE – Day 2

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VOUS CONFERENCE – Day 3

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SUNDAY SERVICES INSTALLMENT OF TODD & KATIE CORRIGAN, SAN DIEGO CAMPUS

SUNDAY SERVICES / VOUS CONFERENCE – Day 4

MLI SUMMER INTERNSHIP BEGINS

SUMMER BLAST BEGINS

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

TCA GRADUATION (NOMI) – 11:00am iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM

SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM

1 2 3

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

iPRAY – 12PM CREATIVE NIGHT – 7PM

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iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM

4 5

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18 19

SUNDAY SERVICES / FATHER’S DAY / BABY DEDICATION

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

iPRAY – 12PM DNA – 7PM

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iPRAY (NOMI) – 7:30PM

SUNDAY SERVICES

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SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM

SUNDAY SERVICES / WATER BAPTISM

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FATHER’S DAY: Join us this special Sunday as we honor the men of Trinity Church.

FATHER’S DAY

GRADUATION CELEBRATION: Walk down the aisle of Trinity Church at the Miami Gardens Campus with your fellow graduates. North Miami Campus Graduates will be honored there during Sunday morning services, and will walk with all the graduates at 1:30pm at the Miami Gardens Campus. Join GRADUATION us for the Graduation Party to celebrate our CELEBRATION graduates with refreshments and pictures following the 1:30pm service. To be part of this special occasion register at trinitychurch.tv by 6/2.

VOUS CONFERENCE 2015: This is three days of worship, teaching, and celebration. With special guests Judah Smith, Carl Lentz, John Gray, Chad Veach, Joel Houston & musical guest Social Club and hosted by Pastors Rich Jr and DawnCheré Wilkerson. June 11-13, 2015 at The Fillmore Theater on South

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MLI OPEN HOUSE – 11:00AM

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RENDEZVOUS – 7:30PM

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SUMMER BLAST: Summer Fun for Preschool & Middle School students with weekly field trips, arts and crafts, music, dance, drama and so much more!

MLI SUMMER INTERNSHIP: This internship is geared at educating and equipping students for full-time ministry. Students involved in the Summer Internship will take part in putting on Vous Conference, weekly church ministries, and intensive spiritual and leadership development training. For more information or to apply go to www.trinity-mli.com.

SABBATH PRAYER – 8AM

JUNE

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*EVENTS ARE AT MIAMI GARDENS CAMPUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT CREATIVE NIGHTS by Chelsea Gaspard

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Creative believers are breaking down the rigidness that people falsely link to The Church; artists from different mediums come together in a myriad of ways to collaborate and breath life into the vision of the kingdom of God. Every Wednesday night, Trinity Church’s doors are open to all those looking for a creative and encouraging outlet. Creative Night is a safe place for artists to be vulnerable with their artistry, a space for safe collaboration, evolving talents, encouragement, and undeniable growth. One might join the creative team as a dancer, but soon find themselves helping out with video production. This is a place where one can freely experiment with different art forms and create various platforms of artistic release, all while glorifying God! I got to sit down with Zach Freeman, our worship pastor and one of the leaders of Creative Night, to break down the what and how of this event.

Zach Freeman: Creative Night is the result of the dream God’s placed in our hearts to see his people lead in every creative area of life. This creative movement is growing every week because it’s attracting people who are looking for positive creative energy that only comes through God’s presence and in the gathering of other believers. There are so many negative ways to be inspired creatively in this city that we wanted to provide a place for people to be inspired without compromising who they are.

Chelsea Gaspard: What do Creative Nights look like?

ZF: We start Creative Night with food and socializing, because everything is always better when there’s food! After hanging out for a bit we start in with worship. It’s so important to start the beginning of the night with worship – it’s refreshing – especially for those who’ve had a rough day at work or school. After worship, a leader from one of the departments will share an encouraging word, and then we get into the creative part. Each week we choose a team to present something special that they’ve prepared. So far we’ve had light shows, spoken word pieces, and dance numbers to name a few. We do this to celebrate each other, but we end up being flat-out amazed at the talent represented here at Trinity Church.

best selves. It’s our responsibility to walk out this journey as creatives’ with the understanding that God has fully equipped us to do our best work. But what it takes for us to get there is to sink ourselves into the gift we’ve been given, and there’s no better place to do this but in the company of other creatives.

CG: Describe your vision for the future of creatives in the local church?

creativity is a form of

CG: What does creative ministry look like to you?

ZF: It says in Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG): Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Creative Ministry is a collective action that gives all of us the opportunity to use our gifts as a form of worship, while at the same time inspire and edify the church that we serve. We are to give God the very best that we have to offer, and truly dig deep inside to find our

worship

ZF: We want to be ahead of what is happening in the world, not the other way around. We serve a God that created the earth and everything in it, why wouldn’t He help us lead the rest of the world in the creative arena? Creative night is a place where people are able to share their God-given talents to inspire people, dream, and pursue the life God’s intended them to live.

CG: When do these events take place? How can someone get involved?

ZF: Creative Nights are Wednesdays at 7pm. Joining Creative Night is as simple as showing up! We invite everyone to come and be a part of what’s happening at Creative Night!

Chelsea Gaspard is a theater student at Southeastern University. She’s on the drama team at Trinity Church and has a passion for writing. For more info about Creative Night email Zach at zfreeman@trinitychurch.tv.

OUR CREATIVE TEAMS INCLUDE:

MUSICIANS | VOCALISTS | SPOKEN WORD | RAP | DANCERS | DRAMA | WRITING | VOICEOVERS | PRODUCTION: LIGHTS/CAMERA/DIRECTORS/COMPUTER | SOUND ENGINEERS | VIDEO PRODUCTION | VIDEO POST PRODUCTION | PHOTOGRAPHY | GRAPHIC DESIGN | ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN | SOCIAL MEDIA | WEB DESIGN

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“Live with the reality of heaven written on our hearts.”

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For the last 5 years, the month of June has always held a special place in my heart. This year it will be no different. I am beyond excited about VOUS Conference 2015 taking over the historic Fillmore Theater June 11-13.

From the very beginning Vous Conference has always been about encountering Jesus and building the local Church. We’ve seen thousands over the years attend and have their lives transformed. This year there is no doubt in my mind that God is going to do it again.

Truth be told, we live in a busy world. All of us are just trying to manage our week; otherwise, by default our week manages us. I love the idea of coming together once a year with the single purpose to encounter God. Maybe that seems strange to you but consider how many other things in your life you take the time to painstakingly schedule.

Till Kingdom Come

a vision expanding — Rich Wilkerson, Jr.

From grocery shopping to dentist appointments, from date nights with your spouse to birthday parties for your kids... We all have schedules. I think the foundation for every facet of our lives is Jesus. To keep our future focused and fruitful, we have to make time to be with Jesus, otherwise the time will go somewhere else. Making the time to be at conference every year makes a statement that your relationship with God is priority.

The reality is if we’re too busy for God, then we’re too busy.

Vous Conference is so much more than a youth and young adult gathering. It’s a movement for all people who love Jesus and want to see His church flourish. Every year we do our best to bring in voices that we feel carry the heart and spirit of Vous, while challenging us to enlarge our faith for our cities and families. The line up of special guests this year is quite possibly my favorite one yet—diverse, powerful, passionate, and all unified under the message of Jesus. I truly believe Heaven is going to visit us and God is going to enlarge the vision of all of our hearts through His word!

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One of my favorite things to do each year is seek God for the overall vision, direction, and theme of Vous Conference.

Each year our themes have become more like marching orders from heaven to earth for those of us who are a part of the Vous movement. These themes have become like dear friends to us. Themes like INTO THE NIGHT have become mantras for our team and have taken on a life of their own.

Last year’s theme, LIVE ON, has become a phrase that so many have leaned on in their most trying moments, and it even inspired an original song by our team.

After much prayer and collaboration with our team, I’m so thrilled to share that our 2015 theme will be TILL KINGDOM COME. It comes from the famous prayer by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13, which reads: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

“There’s no such thing as dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God.

This prayer has become commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer. Yet, the one line that sticks out to me so strongly is “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus is essentially saying that we should pray and operate in an effort to bring heaven to earth.

That all of our efforts in this short life should be done with our eyes fixed on eternity. If we’re not careful we will live the Christian life as if Jesus is simply our ticket to heaven.

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Jesus is so much more than that. He is also our teacher while we are here on earth. Jesus didn’t just come to save you in the after life, He actually came to give you abundant life right now—that every day and every waking moment of our lives we would continue to be shaped into the image of Christ “till kingdom come.”

What would happen if we started living today with the intent to bring heaven to earth? What if we went through our normal everyday lives expecting the miraculous. So many believers don’t understand their identity in Jesus and the power they posses as a child of God. The access that we have been granted is unprecedented. We are connected to the greatest power source of all time and we are empowered to bring Gods light into this dark hopeless world. There is no such thing as dual citizenship in the kingdom of God. You are either in or out.

If we’re in, then we might as well start living like it. It’s time to move forward together toward the eternal purpose God has placed before us. To live with the reality of heaven written on our hearts.

We must keep marching on. Celebrating the hope we carry every step of the way and advancing the message until His Kingdom come. We will never quit. We will never back down. TILL KINGDOM COME. See you at conference! Register today at thevousconference.com Pastor Rich Jr is the lead Pastor of Vous Church in Miami, FL, hosts JUCE TV weekly talk show Top 3, and travels around the world sharing the hope of Jesus.

This month we welcome two incredible leaders to the Trinity Staff and Family. Joe and Hollie Hepler are a dynamic team and we are blessed to have them call Trinity home. We asked Joe to share with THE SCOOP his heart and vision for the future: My wife Hollie Jo and I absolutely love being in Miami and being a part of the staff here at Trinity Church. I think our transition would have been difficult if the people of Trinity weren’t so warm and welcoming. I’m originally from Plantation, FL and I began attending Trinity in high school after some friends invited me to the Rendezvous. Since then I’ve been in Lakeland, FL at Southeastern University where I graduated with a bachelors degree in Church Ministry and then joined their staff in the Department of Spiritual Formation. Our transition back down to south Florida has been an adventure. We have so much passion and excitement for this new season.

My vision for raising young leaders is comprised of three components—educating, equipping, and empowering. Being educated is essential for personal growth and development. When you’re provided with knowledge, you’re able to better shape and form your beliefs and your beliefs will determine your behavior. This is vital in developing ministry philosophies.

We also believe in equipping our young leaders with leadership skills, as well as church ministry skills and healthy life skills so that once they graduate from our program, they’ll have all the necessary skills they’ll need to influence and build culture no matter where they go. Lastly, we believe in empowering our young leaders through powerful spiritual formation and by giving them responsibilities and positions of leadership within the church.

Miami Leadership Institute provides a unique opportunity to begin discovering your calling, while earning your degree.

We have created a context for students to receive the best that Southeastern University and Trinity Church have to offer, all while earning a degree at a fraction of the cost that a traditional program offers.

We currently have applications open for the Summer Internship as well as our fall semester. You can apply at www. trinity-mli.com. The sooner you apply, the sooner we can process your application and begin walking you through the steps for course registration and financial aid application. If you’re interested or have questions, stop by our open house on June 29 at 11am.

The best is yet to come for Miami Leadership Institute. Join the journey and apply today!

A BIG WELCOME TO OUR NEW MLI DIRECTOR JOE HEPLER!

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In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.� ISAIAH 63:9 At our lowest points we fall to our knees and we search to find who can mend us from within and guide us back to our feet.

Some feel they do not deserve help or have the strength to find it; they only need to lift their heads to find the answer in Christ.

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Drawing and words by Faith Falodun who is a graphic design and multimedia student at New World School of the Arts. She joyfully serves in the KidZone.

CONNECT GROUPS

At Trinity Church we believe our church must grow LARGER and SMALLER at the same time. Connect groups are designed to make a big church feel like a small church. Our desire for everyone who calls Trinity Church home is to get involved in one of our fun, spiritually filling Connect Groups which allow everyone to grow in a small setting through relationships while being part of a large body. Listed are some of our many connect groups. If you have questions about groups or how to get involved with one please visit the NEXTSTEPS / CONNECT page on trinitychurch.tv or contact Connect Pastor Christy François at connect@trinitychurch.tv or by calling 786-888-4735. Get connected TODAY!

FOR YOUNG ADULTS

BLOG CONNECT Melissa Mills Every other Wed @7:30pm C.R.U.S.H Nirzie Aime Every third Sat @7pm FLASHPOINT Jessica Petit-Frere Every other Fri @7:30pm GAME NIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Christopher & Nerline Morrison Every other Sat @7pm GLOW Christy Francois Every other Sat @10am EAT, PRAY, LOVE Nadine Dorvil Second Fridays @7pm CIRCLE MAKERS Kia Mathis Every other Tues @9pm SISTERS IN CHRIST CONNECT Jenelle Campos & Jennifer Cruz First Fridays @8pm STAR Jasmine Harvell Every other Fri @7:30pm IGNITION DANCE Angela Lowe Mon & Wed @7pm

THE NIFTY NONAS Barbara Pennerman Every other Fri @12pm

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST Roland Woods Jr. Every other Sat @7:45am

WOMEN OF WISDOM Carma Jones First & Second Wed @7pm

LEGENDARY Luis Ponce & Jean Fouquet Every other Sun @3pm

EMPOWERING YOU Esther Pierre Every other Thurs @7:30pm

BIBLE STUDIES

IRON SHARPENS IRON Julie Nicolas Every other Sun @5pm GOD STILL ANSWERS PRAYER Rose Alexander First Tues @6:45pm WOMEN’S CONNECT “TOAST MASTERS” Mary Mites Every other Sun @6:30pm WOMEN OF THE WORD Marjorie Mitchell Every other Wed @6:30pm WIDE AWAKE Sheryl Baldeo First Wed @7pm FINISHING STRONG Faith Nwuso Every other Fri @7pm TASTE AROUND THE WORLD Sherree Figel Fourth Fridays @6pm

GAME NIGHT CONNECT Doreen Semelfort Every other Sat @6:30pm

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT Patricia Johnson & Felicia Weatherspoon Fourth Saturdays @2pm

S.W.A.G CONNECT (Activity-based) Bianca Evariste Meets at various times

FOR MEN

WOMEN ON AN ADVENTURE Samyra & Savannah Joseph Every other Thurs @12pm

FOR WOMEN

WOMEN OF DESTINY Anna Johnson Every other Fri @6pm

BIBLE STUDY (women only) Sylvia Francois Every other Thurs @6pm WALKING IN THE WORD Sunday Akinbiyi Sun @11:30am WE ARE OUTREACH (women only) Flora Csonka Every other Sat @4pm BIBLE STUDY (women only) Vera Brown Fri @7pm WOMEN OF FAITH IN THE WORD (women only) Enose Pierre Every other Fri @6:30pm BIBLE STUDY Horace & Cecilia Hudson Sun @1:30pm

FOR EVERYONE

MARTIAL ARTS David Freeman Mon & Thurs @6pm (all ages) Sat @ 10am (12 & up) TRINITY LEVITICAL DANCE Edlyne Decady Sat @8am

MEN MADE Steven Francois & Tino Castro Every other Fri @6:30pm

INTERCESSORY PRAYER Edward Amey Sun @9:30am & 1pm Wed @6:30am

CONNECT TRANSFORMATION Lester Mitchell & Anthony Jones Every other Sat @2pm

IN HIS PRESENCE Edward Amey Fri @9pm

TAKE IT TO THE HOOPS Robert Figel Every other Sun @7pm

G.O.A.L (Soccer Connect) Stephanie Castor Every other Sat @5:30pm

GO! CONNECT (Global Outreach) Linda Freedman First Sundays @3pm CHESS CONNECT Rawn & Janice Wooden TBA – every other week @7pm KUKMUKWAN FITNESS Kervin Beaujin & Keefe Flynn Mon, Wed & Thurs @6pm TENNIS CONNECT Rodney Galon & Alan Watkins Mon, Wed & Fri @6pm LEADERS FOR CHRIST Janice Johnson & Joshua Fredenburg Second & Fourth Wed @7:30pm MISSION I’M POSSIBLE Terrance & Johanne Wilson Sat @11am VOLLEYBALL CONNECT! Christian Troz, Alex Bailey, Christina Benedict, Luke Beach Every other Fri @7:30pm

FOR COUPLES

PREMARITAL CLASS (10-wk course) Carlos & Iraida Garcia Sat @2pm INFINITY COUPLES Robert & Sherree Figel Every other Sat @7pm ONE FLESH Robert & Gigi Reyes Every other Fri @7:30pm

CONNECT CLASSES

FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY (NoMi) Sandra Blemur Sun @2pm *Course Package costs $90.00* FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY (MGC) Horace & Cecilia Hudson Sun @3pm *Course Package costs $90.00

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MINISTRIES AT TRINITY CHURCH

BABY DEDICATION: We believe that children are a gift from God. Offered every 2nd Sunday of the month, baby dedication is a public declaration made before God, the church, and family, to spiritually lead and nurture your child to love God and people.

Sign up by filling out the VIP card or by stopping by the Next Steps booth.

COMMUNION: Every 1st Sunday of the month we take part in the act of Holy Communion as a church family. Communion is the remembrance of the gravity of Jesus’ sacrifice made on the cross; we “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

CONNECT GROUPS: Designed to help every member at Trinity Church find a group of people with whom they can belong. Whatever you’re passionate about, wherever you live and whenever you’re available, we have a group where you can get connected. Stop by our Next Steps booth in the lobby for more info on our various groups or go to trinitychurch. tv and look under the Next Steps tab.

CONNECT WEEK: Connect Groups meet twice a month during our CONNECT WEEKS which are on the 2nd and 4th week of each month.

CREATIVE NIGHT: A gathering for the Creative Community of Trinity. Whatever your passion – Trinity Creative has a place for you to use & develop your gifting! Music, dance, production, graphic design, spoken word, rap, art direction, stage design and much more! You’re invited every Wednesday at 7pm.

DNA: This is our monthly service for all Servant Leadership outlets: Connect, Grow and Serve. Maximize your unique gifts, skills, and talents by being a part of Trinity Church’s Servant Leadership. We encourage you to come to DNA and join a team.

GROW: These discipleship classes are designed to help believers grow in their relationship with God. Whether you are a new believer or have been following Christ for many years there is a class that will challenge you to take your journey to the next level.

These 7-week classes are offered 4 times a week. Sign up by stopping by the Next Steps booth.

6:55 LEADERS MEETING: Tuesday nights at 6:55pm we hold an openended leadership meeting for anyone wanting to get involved with our Rendezvous service. This 15 minute is comprised of prayer and leadership teaching. Meet us on the The Dock this Tuesday night if you’re interested.

THE RENDEZVOUS: Trinity Church’s mid-week service every Tuesday at 7:30pm. The Rendezvous is a meeting place to worship God and connect with others! Whatever your age, background and lifestyle – you are welcome!

iPRAY: A weekly gathering devoted to prayer and worship. Wednesdays at 12pm (MGC) and Thursdays at 7:30pm (NoMi).

JV: Our Junior High meets every Sunday at 11:30am. For more information visit: VousYouth.com.

PARENTING COURSES: Our new semester of parenting classes starts January 15th. This 12-week course is taught by a licensed social worker to help parents learn the values of communication and different parenting strategies. There are also classes for the children at the same time that teaches coping, communication, and improved behaviors.

SABBATH PRAYER: A weekly gathering devoted to prayer and worship on the Sabbath every Saturdays at 8am.

FOOD PANTRY: Open Wednesdays 1pm–5pm (NoMi).

KIDZONE: We offer kids services for preschool and elementary age children during all of our regular weekend and mid-week services. KidZone combines high-energy activities, Biblebased teaching, interesting puppet characters, and fun-filled songs to capture kids’ attentions while also showing them that living for Jesus is the best thing!

PRE-SERVICE PRAYER: We have prayer at MGC at 9:30 & 5:30 on The Dock and at NoMi at 10. Everyone is welcome to join us in this time of spiritual preparation.

PEACEMAKERS FAMILY CENTER (PFC) OFFICE: Offers social service, case management and referrals for individuals and families in crisis. Open Sundays-Thursday from 9:30–3pm and 5:30-7pm. PFC staff are also available by appointment throughout the week.

SUNDAY SERVICES: We have two campus offering Sunday services. Miami Garden Campus (MGC) with services at 9:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm & 5:30pm and North Miami Campus (NoMi) with service at 10:30am.

KidZone/Childcare provided in all services.

UNITED NIGHT: Vous Youth is the High School ministry of Trinity Church.

Connect groups meet every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 3pm, weekly in local high schools, and every first Thursday for our United Nights! For more information visit: VousYouth.com.

THE VOICES OF TRINITY: Everyone’s experience is unique – and we each have a story to tell. We want to give voice to your voice – highlighting how God continues to use broken vessels to tell His story to a hurting world. If you’re ready to share your story – be it a testimony, drawing, short story, or poem; please submit it to rblanchard@peacemakers.com. Someone out there needs to hear you tell your story!

WATER BAPTISM: Baptism is a public declaration of your inward faith.

If you have accepted Christ as your personal savior let us help you make the next step and celebrate your baptism. Baptisms happen every 3rd Sunday of the month. Sign up by filling out the VIP card or by stopping by the Next Steps booth.