Ministries

Acolytes: Crucifer, Chalice Bearer & Server: Regular services require an Acolyte to act as Crucifer each Sunday to lead the procession in the Church, and a Server and Chalice Bearer to assist in Communion. The time commitment means arriving early enough to vest for the service. If you would like to serve God on Sunday mornings in this way or want more information, please call the Church office (315) 265-5754 and ask for Sally Elliott to return your call.

Ushers: Regular services require one or two Ushers to prepare the Church for Mass by unlocking the door, turning lights on, setting up the audio system, etc. During the service, Ushers hand out the bulletins, assist people with seating, control flow to Communion, and then restore order after the service concludes. The time commitment means arriving by 10:00am. If you would like to serve God on Sunday mornings in this way or want more information, please call the Church office (315) 265-5754 and ask for Mary VanLeuven to return your call.

Altar Guild: Altar Guild is a group of dedicated persons caring for vestments and communion vessels in preparation for Eucharist services.  We welcome interest in and questions about this service of dedication. Current members include Betsy Travis, Joyce Dangremond, Mary VanLeuven, Sally Elliott and Caroline Maloney. For more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for a member to return your call.

Building & Grounds Committee: The Buildings and Grounds Committee for 2022 included Dave Sanford, Ian MacKellar, Laura Gutenmann and Chair, Gavin MacKellar. The past 18 months have been busy, with projects including new plumbing, driveway improvements, purchase of lawn-care equipment, new roofing, new flooring, and tree removal. Many more projects are in line, the most significant being the repair of the Church stonework and masonry, for which a Capital Campaign is currently underway. Please see the Trinity Church Annual Report 2023 for details on Building & Grounds projects (available via email or in the Church office). For more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for a Committee member to return your call.

Church Choir: In the fall of 2022, Trinity Choir started singing regularly again after our Covid-related vacation. We currently rehearse on Sunday mornings at 9:30am from September through May. We are always looking for new members, so if you enjoy singing, please join us! For more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for Becky MacKellar to return your call, or just appear at rehearsal.

Community Suppers: This is the 25th year that Trinity Church has held Community Suppers on the 4th Thursday of each month, including the summer months. We now partner with the First Presbyterian Church of Potsdam, so the dinner venue alternates between their Church and ours. We’ve shifted from take-out during Covid to eating in-house again as of April 2023. This ministry is great fun, providing fellowship and a feeling of joy in serving others. Current organizers include Mary VanLeuven, Judi Sanford and Sharon Pickard. If you’d like more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for an organizer to return your call.

Daughters of the King: Daughters of the King is a National Order of women within the Episcopal Church who incorporate the rule of prayer and the rule of service. Our order invites all women of the Church who are interested in strengthening their relationship with Christ, growing their prayer lives, and serving the Church and local community. Current members include Nancy Kear, Sally Elliott, Laura Gutenmann, Deborah Chase-Lauther, and Barbara Hardiman. For more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for a member to return your call.

Missions & Outreach Committee: The Missions Committee this year is in a transitional phase. Our long-time connections to Madagascar are no longer in effect, so that part of our ministry is up for re-evaluation in 2023. This past year we concentrated on supporting important causes financially: we contributed outside the US to Episcopal Relief and Development for Ukraine, as well as locally to Grace House and to Helping Hands. For more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for a member to return your call.

Stephen Ministry: Stephen Ministry is a worldwide one-on-one lay Christian Care-giving ministry that came to Trinity over 30 years ago. Each Minister has 50 hours of training in listening skills. We meet as needed with individuals who need an unbiased listener while they deal with life issues including health challenges, illness of a parent or spouse, separation or death of a loved one or other life changes. Current Ministers include Mary VanLeuven, Leslie Thorpe, Joanne Fisher, Joyce Dangremond, Rich VanLeuven, Dave Sanford, Barb Hardiman and Sally Elliott. Conversations with a Stephen Minister are confidential. If you or someone you know would benefit from meeting with a Stephen Minister, or if you’d like more information, please call the Church office 315-265-5754 and ask for a Minister to return your call.