Lent and Easter

Lent is a 40-day period in the church calendar where we set aside time to push “re-set” on our connection with God in Christ. Typically we reflect upon the life and teachings of Jesus. We ponder the fact that Jesus, the son of God, was willing to suffer and die for love of us and for all humanity. Particularly during Holy Week, the last week of the Lenten season, we take time to remember the pain and suffering that led up to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Lent is not practiced by all Christian denominations, but it has its roots in the very early church. The PC(USA) views it as an invitation to deepen our relationship with God and observes its practice.

Lent lasts 40 days, beginning on February 18, Ash Wednesday, when we are reminded of our human limitations and mortality as we are marked with a cross on the forehead made from the ashes of last year’s Palm Sunday palms. Lent ends with the celebration of Easter, when we are reminded in Jesus’ resurrection that mortality is not a threat because God is greater than human death.

You may have heard someone say they “were giving up chocolate for Lent.” One of the most common Lenten practices is fasting, choosing to share in Jesus’ suffering in some small way by giving up something we love. But Lent is not just about fasting; it’s about trying to grow closer to God. For some, Lent can be a time of adopting a new practice such as engaging in a new prayer discipline, Bible study, or some other active habit that trains us in a certain direction and focuses us on Christ.

Whether this is your first experience of Lent or your 90th, join us as we prepare our hearts and lives for Easter Sunday! Intentional Lenten worship and practice makes Easter all the more joyful and meaningful.

Ash Wednesday
Join us Wednesday, February 18 at 7 pm for our beautiful, candlelit Ash Wednesday service in McCoy Chapel as we begin our journey of Lent. This services includes the imposition of ashes. Child care will be available for children 2nd grade and younger. No reservations required.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is Sunday, March 29 at 8:30 am and 11 am. On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem, the religious and political center of his people. He did not come in with power or might, but humbly, riding on a donkey. Nonetheless the people spontaneously gathered to praise and even to worship him, recognizing that he was no ordinary man. Was he the Messiah, come to save them from the domination and oppression of the Roman Empire? Join us at 8:30 am or 11 am as our children help lead worship dressed in Bible-time costumes and wave palm branches as Jesus enters the city. All children who wish to participate are encouraged to arrive at church 15 minutes before the start of the service. Pre-school children go to the Early Childhood Hallway, and elementary-aged children go to rooms 303/305. During both worship services we will have a variety of activities for all elementary-age children available in our “Prayground”. The Prayground is a designated, child friendly area in worship where children are able to experience the worship service and engage in age appropriate faith building activities. We ask that families sit close by and encourage children to quietly engage with the materials. Join us as together we recognize this defining moment in Jesus’ life and ministry.

Maundy Thursday

The Thursday before Easter is known as “Maundy Thursday.” This is the day that Jesus gathered with his disciples in the Upper Room, sharing a special Passover meal with them, and giving them a New Commandment, to love one another as God loves them (John 13:34). The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for Commandment. Join us on Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm in the McCoy Chapel for this deeply meaningful service. Communion is served and all who trust Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation or church membership, are welcome to partake. There is childcare for children second grade and under, no reservations required.

Good Friday

Trinity’s Good Friday service will be Friday, April 3 at 7 pm in the Great Hall featuring Gabriel Fauré’s moving Requiem presented by Trinity’s choir and an orchestra consort followed by a brief Tenebrae service. There is childcare for children second grade and under, no reservations required. On Good Friday we remember the events that followed Maundy Thursday and Jesus’ command to love one another. Following their last meal together, Jesus and his friends went to the Garden to pray, and it was there that he was betrayed and arrested. The following day he was tried and ultimately executed. If we do not observe Good Friday, we miss the surprising power and joy of Easter morning.

Easter Sunday

Join us on Easter Sunday, April 5 as we proclaim, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” Two joyful, identical traditional worship services (8:30 am and 11 am ) will be held in the Great Hall. There is no Sunday School on Easter Sunday, but childcare is available for infants through Pre-K. No reservations are required. During both worship services we will have a variety of activities for all elementary-age children available in our “Prayground,” a child friendly area in worship where children are able to experience the worship service and engage in age appropriate faith building activities. We ask that families sit close by and encourage children to quietly engage with the materials.  Between the services, join us in our lovely Celebration Garden for hot cross buns and to view our beautiful flowered cross.  It is an ideal place to take an Easter photo! If you wish, you may bring a fresh flower to decorate the cross, and children will have the opportunity to make paper flowers as well.

For Lent, we are using Sanctified Art’s Lenten series Tell Me Something Good: Grounding Ourselves in the Good News this Lent.

Beginning Wednesday, February 18 we will have Lenten Devotional Cards on sale between services. Each day offers: commentary, poetry, visual art, written reflections, hymns, or reflection prompts.

No. Trinity welcomes all, wherever you are on your spiritual journey. From longtime Presbyterians to people uncertain about God, our halls are filled with people from all backgrounds and perspectives.

Being a PC(USA) church means honoring God’s stated desire to work through and in all people (Joel 2:28).  We are intentionally inclusive and we believe that God uses the leadership and teaching gifts of all genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

We invite you to join us just as you are!

At Trinity, we strive to offer radical hospitality throughout the year. If you are new to joining us in worship, we want to provide information on the accommodations we are offering at this time:

• There are three wheelchair accessible entry points. If you are attending a service in the Great Hall, please enter through the south or west entrances. If you are attending a worship service in McCoy Chapel, you can find a wheelchair entrance on the northeast side of our building;
• Accessible restrooms can be found in our main hallway;
• In the Great Hall, there are rocking chairs for use by new parents;
• Written sermons and large-print bulletins can be found outside the Great Hall and McCoy Chapel;
• Fidget toys are in our Children’s Worship Bags which are available at our Welcome Desk;
• There are two gender neutral bathrooms that can be found at the northeast and southeast entrances;
• The majority of the chairs in our worship spaces do not have armrests, however, we do offer chairs with armrests for those who need them. If you need a specific type of chair, please ask an usher who will be happy to assist you.

If you have any questions or if we can offer further accommodations to you or your family, please email contact@tpcmckinney.org.

Family Promise of North Texas is our mission of the month in February.

Trinity’s Youth selected Family Promise of North Texas to be the recipient of their fundraising for 30 Hour Famine and our Mission of the Month for February. Family Promise is a local non-profit that seeks to help families with children experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.

All proceeds from the 30 Hour Famine and from our missions giving will be donated to this worthy cause!

You can donate by writing a check to Trinity with “Family Promise” in the memo line, or via Realm by selecting “Giving” and then “Mission of the Month” in February.

Elevate North Texas Youth Shelter is our mission of the month in March.

Every night, thousands of young people experience homelessness without a parent or guardian –and go to sleep without the safety, stability and support of a family or a home.

Youth Homelessness is not an isolated issue only found in select areas of the United States. Unfortunately, it exists everywhere including right here in North Texas. Elevate North Texas seeks to fill in the gap of local youth homelessness with emergency shelter.

You can donate by writing a check to Trinity with “Elevate” in the memo line, or via Realm by selecting “Giving” and then “Mission of the Month” in March.

McKinney Little Free Pantry is our mission of the month in April.

MLFP strives to combat hunger by providing 24/7 access to free non-perishable food and toiletries to the food insecure in the McKinney area.

There are two ways to give:

You can donate by writing a check to Trinity with “Famine” in the memo line, or via Realm by selecting “Giving” and then “Mission of the Month”. You can also donate by clicking “DONATE” below.

The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People – all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope. We will take this offering on Easter Sunday.