SOCIAL MINISTRIES We are collecting school supplies for local school children through August. In September, we will collect sweatpants for them. The schools greatly appreciate this. We thank you to everyone that has made our community outreach a success. -Social Ministries TLC LADIES Join us for our annual TLC Women’s Picnic on Fri, July 10, from Noon-3 PM. (Note the time update). We have once again reserved the Coweeman Pavilion at Willow Grove for this time of fellowship and fun. Stay tuned for more details! Questions? Contact Cynthia at (360) 353-3480. The TLC Women's book Bible study will be working from Max Lucado’s “In the footsteps of the Savior.” This is a mixture of Bible and book studies enhanced with video footage of the Holy Land. This is the format we enjoyed last year when we studied James. Starting September, the book Study will meet again on the fourth Friday of the month, at 10 AM in the Church library. The books can be bought on Amazon,($12.73) There are some used available on eBay. If you’re not able to access these please let me know and I will help facilitate the purchase of a book. Cynthia OFFICE HOURS Trinity’s office hours will continue to be Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am until noon. DIRECTORY UPDATE It’s time to update our directory. Please submit your updated information to the church office or correct the directory in the foyer if needed. GIVING Just a reminder that Trinity is set up to allow you to give your offering online. The forms of payment are credit card, debit card, and ACH (bank account). You can set it up to give a one-time offering or set up recurring offering gifts (every month on the 15th of the month as an example) to be processed to the church. To give your offering online, go to www.tithe.ly/give to create your account and start the process for giving online. FROM the PASTOR We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness The Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4,1776 begins with the above words. This declaration began our independence from Great Britain and was followed by eight bloody years of war. Freedom rarely, if ever, is accomplished without the shedding of blood. These “unalienable Rights” were the cornerstone and purpose of this new nation. Thomas Jefferson, the main author of this document said that, "The freedom and happiness of man... are the sole objects of all legitimate government.” We may have life in this life, and the purpose of our government may be to give us the opportunity to live this life fully, however Jesus granted us something more – life for all time and eternity. It is the Gospel of John that states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Furthermore, it is Jesus himself who claimed that He is “...the way, and the truth, and the life.” No human institution can give the promise. “Liberty” is a difficult concept. Webster’s New World Dictionary has no less than seven definitions or aspects of this word. I suppose the second definition may come the closest to the intention of the founders, “...the sum of rights and exemptions possessed in common by the people of a community, state, etc.” When I hear liberty being defined as“...the ability for anyone to do anything,” I cringe. From a Christian point of view, when the Apostle Paul writes about freedom in Galatians, he is talking about freedom from the old Mosaic Law as it was concerned with salvation. It is Jesus who tells us that true freedom and liberty and joy for that matter comes from freely serving God and others. “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) The founders of this country were examples of how serving others in this high ideal of freedom may cost dearly. Most of these men were men of means with plenty to lose. They risked their wealth, their families, and their lives and most lost some or all lost part of these things so that others might enjoy this freedom. Today, while we are arguably more prosperous than any country in history, it is ironic that in the pursuit of happiness many people are frustrated going from one idea of happiness to another. Pursuing, but never finding. Ben Franklin said, "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Maybe we do not know what true happiness is and maybe it is because our idea and definition of happiness is all fouled up. We look for happiness without meaning, but really what is life at all without some sense of meaning or purpose? And without that high sense of duty or of call we will never find it. Often though, that call may be difficult making me ponder whether we should think less in terms of happiness and more in terms of joy. Joy because what is meaningful and satisfying in life is finding God’s purpose in life. Only when we find true meaning and purpose will we find happiness. What it comes down to is that the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that this country was founded on should not lead to selfish and unsatisfying desires but keep us free to worship and serve that Creator who gives us the true eternal life, the liberty from the law, and the joy and happiness that only comes from God. Blessings: Pastor Craig

TLC LADIES Join us for our annual TLC Women’s Picnic on Fri, July 10, from Noon-3 PM. (Note the time update). We have once again reserved the Coweeman Pavilion at Willow Grove for this time of fellowship and fun. Stay tuned for more details! Questions? Contact Cynthia at (360) 353-3480. The TLC Women's book Bible study will be working from Max Lucado’s “In the footsteps of the Savior.” This is a mixture of Bible and book studies enhanced with video footage of the Holy Land. This is the format we enjoyed last year when we studied James. Starting September, the book Study will meet again on the fourth Friday of the month, at 10 AM in the Church library. The books can be bought on Amazon,($12.73) There are some used available on eBay. If you’re not able to access these please let me know and I will help facilitate the purchase of a book. Cynthia