

Ralph Sexton
Never Forget
This year our Memorial Day is very special since we were in COVID prison at this time last year. Many cities and communities host parades each year with military personnel and members of various Veteran’s organizations. Memorial Day has its origins all the way back to the Civil War. It is the special time of remembering and giving honor to those who have fallen in battle. The historical oral tradition is that in May, 1868, General John A. Logan made a decree that May 30th would become a nationwide day of remembrance and that Americans should lay flowers and decorate the graves of over 620,000 men who died in the Civil War. The General stated, “The bodies of the fallen now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” According to tradition, passed down from generation to generation, General Logan picked May 30th because it was one of the rare dates that did not fall on the anniversary of a Civil War battle.
Some historians believe the date of May 30th was chosen to ensure that flowers across the country would be in full bloom. In the South, Decoration Sunday had been a tradition that seemed to merge with Memorial Day. Decoration Day lasted over 100 years, until 1968 when the Uniform Holiday Act of 1968 finally went into effect. This 1968 act moved Memorial Day from the traditional date of May 30th, regardless of the day of the week, to a set day, which would be the last Monday in May.
In the past few years, there may have been the blurring of the meaning of Memorial Day. There appears to be a loss of respect and honor for the fallen, replaced by the first long weekend of summer, with cookouts and start of summer vacations.
As a church, we must not forget the fallen that secured our religious freedom. They paid the price for us to be free!
ALL GAVE SOME, AND SOME GAVE ALL! You are loved,
Pastor Ralph
Ministry Corner
CELEBRATE RECOVERY is a Christ centered 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain, or addiction of any kind. CR meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM in the Chapel of the Student Building.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Kid’s Kingdom Meets Sundays at 4:45 PM in the lower level of the Student Building.
- Children’s Camp 2021 for 3rd-6th Grade students, Sunday, June 13- Wednesday, June 16— $120 per student. Please see Pastor Nathan for a registration packet. Registration ends on Sunday, May 30.
- Vacation Bible School—K4-6th Grade on Sunday, August 8– Friday, August 13. If you would like to volunteer please see Ashley Burke or Michele Smith
COLLEGE & CAREER (18-29 years old) Young adults, join us on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Chapel of the Student Building at 7:00 PM for our Upper Room Service. Tuesday, June 4th at camp Cedar Cliff
GRADUATION SUNDAY Graduation Sunday is Sunday, June 13 at 10:30 AM Service. If you are a senior graduating high school or a college graduate, please call the church office to register.
HOLY LAND TOUR Walk with Jesus! Join Pastor Ralph in the Holy Land to study the Word of God. A group from our church will depart on Tuesday, November 30th for a ten day Teaching Tour in Israel. This trip will be life changing as your Bible becomes a living book. For more information see the display in the lobby or go to ralphsexton.com. This year in Jerusalem!
KIDS KINGDOM Meeting on Sundays at 4:45 PM in the lower level of the Student Building.
LADIES MINISTRY Ladies Bible Study -Tuesdays 6:00 PM in the Sanctuary – Teacher-Debbie Browning, “Shopping List-Six Ingredients for Spiritual Growth”
Thursday Evening Bible Study with Miranda Parrish will start back on June 3rd.
MEN’S MINISTRY
- Friday, June 4 at 6:30 PM-Men’s Steak & Study
- Men’s Prayer Breakfast/Property Work Day rescheduled for Saturday, June 19 at 8:00 AM.
MISSIONS
- •Pastor Dwight is traveling to Malawi in June to dedicate the new church building and clean water well that Trinity sponsored in 2019. He would like to take some supplies with him for the villages. Your help is appreciated. A box for supplies is in the front lobby.
- 30 official size soccer balls-please deflate them, Small jars of peanut but- ter, Tuna kits, Beef jerky, Hard candy-individually wrapped, Almonds, Granola bars
•There are currently 10 children who need sponsorship at the Good Samaritan Children’s Home in Malawi, Africa. $50 will sponsor a child for a month. Please call Sandra Hutchinson at 828-808-8932 for details and instructions.
STRENGTH FOR LIVING Strength for Living with cancer or any chronic illness, for patients and their caregivers. Pat Johnston is available for any questions or concerns 828-319-7432 or email Pat at pjhnstn247@aol.com.
THRIVE YOUTH Meeting on Sundays at 5:00 PM in the Chapel of the Student Building.
- Arise Youth Conference –July 19-23 – See Pastor Nathan to register
Upcoming Events
Sunday, May 30
• 8:00 AM Early Worship
• 9:30 AM Bible Study Classes
• 10:30 AM Morning Worship
• NO Evening Worship
Monday, May 31
• Church Office Closed
Tuesday, June 1
• 6:00 PM Ladies Bible Study
• 6:30 PM Upper Room at Camp Cedar Cliff
Wednesday, June 2
• 6:30 PM Midweek Worship
Thursday, June 3
• 6:30 PM Celebrate Recovery
• 6:30 PM Ladies Bible Study
Friday, June 4
• 6:30 PM Men’s Steak and Study
Sunday, June 6
• 8:00 AM Early Worship
• 9:30 AM Bible Study Classes
• 10:30 AM Morning Worship
• 3:00 PM Jubilee Choir Practice
• 4:45 PM Kids Kingdom
• 5:00 PM Evening Worship
• 5:00 PM Thrive Youth
Tuesday, June 8
• 6:00 PM Ladies Bible Study
• 6:00 PM American Heritage Girls
• 9:00 PM Men’s Prayer
Wednesday, June 9
• 6:30 PM Midweek Worship
Thursday, June 10
• 6:30 PM Celebrate Recovery
Sunday, June 13
• Graduation Sunday
• 8:00 AM Early Worship
• 9:30 AM Bible Study Classes
• 10:30 AM Morning Worship
• 3:00 PM Jubilee Choir Practice
• 4:45 PM Kids Kingdom
• 5:00 PM Evening Worship
• 5:00 PM Thrive Youth
July 28 – August 1,
• 52nd Land of the Sky Jubilee
Thank you
Your kind expressions of sympathy is gratefully acknowledged and deeply appreciated. Thank you for the beautiful flowers ~Chance & Terry Willis
Your kindness meant everything to me. Thank you for my beautiful flowers! Love to all! ~Betty Fletcher
Thank you so much for everything that everyone has done for us during this hard time. It is the prayers and love that has carried us thru all of this. I couldn’t begin to list all that you did for us. Thank you so much! ~Doris Spencer Family
Giving this Month
1st Week of May $57,523.25
2nd Week of May $52,540.00
3rd Week of May $40,816.80
4th Week of May $29,712.15
Building Fund & Maintenance $175,849.34
Children’s Playground $11,005.35
Missionaries for May
•Randy Bane – Evangelist – tntrbane@juno.com
•Joel Madasu – India – joel@gospelheritageministries.org
•Shawn Manning Family – Latin America- manningfamilyministry@gmail.com
•Tim Lee Ministries – USA www.timlee.org
•Abby Prado – Colombia – pradocr@rcint.net
•Margaret Stringer – Indonesia- info@margaretstringer.com