Happy Easter to You and Yours!

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom …                            Matthew 27:51

Trinity Sunrise

Sunrise at Seale Pavilion.  Location of St.Andrew’s Episcopal Church,     Morehead City, Sunrise Easter Service

There is more to communication than the spoken word.  In the world of today, many forms of communication are open to us all from the constant contact we maintain through the cell phone in our pocket, to the written communications –sending, receiving, reading–we are incessantly exposed to though our computers, laptops and iPads.  We are bombarded by the sway of advertising images and story lines, good, bad, and indifferent, from the televisions in our home, our bank, or our doughnut shop.  Even in the checkout line of the grocery store we must close our eyes to escape communication from magazine and newspaper headlines—if we aren’t already ignoring them by texting while we wait…

Likewise, our physical bodies are affected, in ways science is only just beginning to understand, by the electromagnetic pollution all this communicating generates.  We as a people are so deluged with the agendas, noise, nano-particles, and thoughts of other humans that we no longer notice it.  We only notice the absence of it.

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Private Beach Access

It is then we remember the sounds that birds make, find soothing the rhythm of the ocean, hear the loving whispers of the wind rustling the trees, and remember the joys of childhood or parenthood as familial laughter rings across water.

There is a common saying amongst those who know and love Trinity Center:

“The veil is very thin here…”

Trinity Center is unique among its kind in that we fight tooth and nail to keep from bombarding our guests with the pollution of the modern world.  We want you to hear the hum of Mother Nature.  We want you to notice the “still small voice” of your soul.  We want you to connect and fellowship with the Creator in whatever fashion resonates with you.  We want you to connect in fellowship with each other without the medium of modernity between you.

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Salt Marsh Walking Trail

Whether you are embracing something new, releasing something old, facing a new set of
challenges, just looking for a moment to rest in the arms of the Almighty, or seeking the joy of fellowship with family and friends, Trinity is the place to fully experience these while cocooned in love and service.  For the employees of Trinity, hospitality is a mission of ministering to temporal needs while leaving guests free to focus on their own spiritual paths.

The Spirit of peace imbues everything at Trinity.  People from all walks are welcomed here with open arms.

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Sunrise Yoga on the Beach

For those who  communicate with the universe through  rituals like Yoga or Tai Chi, our beach is the perfect place to match your breathing to the rhythmic breathing of the earth through the sounds of the waves, and to ground yourself by feeling the sand between your toes.

 

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Sanders Point Outdoor Chapel

 

For those who practice formal prayer, there is the coziness of the Julian Chapel where an effigy of the Anchoress of Light’s beloved cat smiles benignly upon those who pray.  There is the tangible hush of the outdoor chapel at Sanders Point where the earth holds her breath the better to hear heartfelt petitions.  There are the Prayer Garden and Stations of the Cross Walking Trail where soothing green envelops the precant and the wind wings supplications on high to the throne.

Girl on Bench_Frank Leith Rd ScholarFor less formal meditation there are benches and rocking chairs literally everywhere on property tucked away in random spots as an invitation to sit and contemplate.  There are benches on Isle of Wright overlooking the fountain.  rocking porchThere are benches strewn along the pond path and lining the dock jutting into the sound at the end of the Salt Marsh Trail.  There are benches overlooking the ocean on Seale Pavilion.  There are rocking chairs on all of the decks and picnic tables tucked beneath the trees.

Wherever one wanders on Trinity’s sixty plus acre property, one is surrounded by the loving embrace of mother earth and the opportunity to tryst with the Divine.  As the rending of the tabernacle veil signified for all of humankind in long ago Jerusalem, there are places to reach the mercy seat and find succor from the universal Father, one on one.  Trinity is one of those places.

And while the world is only five minutes down the road, the veil is truly thin here on this little slice of sand on the coast of North Carolina.  Everyone needs time away from the noise.  Come visit us.  Let us take care of you while you discover this for yourself.

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Camp Registration is Open!

Camp applications have been mailed!  

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Click Here for Forms


Camp in SessionIf you are not on our mailing list, or don’t feel like waiting for the postal service, you can go to our website and download registration forms.  Forms can be faxed or mailed back to us.

For those new to the Trinity Center experience, Camp Trinity is a summer residential camp sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina at Trinity Center, and, this will be our 29th summer season!

In fact, our Executive Director, Penn Perry, is the former Camp Director (and a Camp Leech camper–Camp T’s predecessor) and our current Camp Director, Mary Beth Bradberry, is a former camper.  We often joke that Mary Beth has been at Trinity Center longer than any of us since she’s pretty much been here since fifth grade!

Your Children are Safe with Us!

boys learning to sailCamp Trinity is proud to be accredited by the American Camping Association.  Developed exclusively for the camp industry, this nationally recognized program focuses on program quality, and health & safety issues, and requires us to review every facet of our operation every three years.  In 2013, Camp Trinity scored high marks in all areas.boys in life vests

In 2015, around 600 campers came through Trinity Center.  The Camp Trinity program is administered by an experienced staff, of college-age and older individuals, with a ratio of one staff person for every four campers.  The Summer Staff consists of trained counselors who are responsible for the care and nurture of campers in their cabin life and camp activities, program staff who plan and implement the recreational program activities for campers, a certified staff of lifeguards and instructors who oversee the swimming and boating programs, and a nurse who cares for the medical needs of campers.  Camp sessions are led by volunteer leaders, clergy, and laity.

Traditional Camp Activities plus Unique Opportunities!

Camp Trinity offers young people (rising 3rd through 12th grades) an opportunity to experience camping in an enjoyable and beautiful setting on North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks, between Bogue Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.   Unique opportunities not available at other camps are every day programs at Camp Trinity.  Traditional activities include:canoe in lagoon

  • Swimming instruction
  • Sailing and canoeing
  • A variety of sports
  • Challenge Courses and Teamwork Initiatives
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Evening entertainments (singing, skits, dances, etc.)
  • Christian Education and Worship

owlAlthough most activities are groups of cabin mates, the camp program also offers additional “Shareshops” of special activities where a camper can choose their own interest and have a chance to mingle with campers in other cabins.  Examples of these activities range from special sports (i.e. pool volleyball), intricate crafts (tie dyed T-shirts), and Sound to Sea Programs where campers meet Trinity Center’s Birds of Prey.tug of war

Each day ends with the sharing of the day’s events, singing, and stories (including the latest antics of the Doo Hammer who has been chasing kiddie campers for more than 30 years!) on the ocean side Pavilion, or around the campfire.

You are Never too Old for Camp!

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For Senior High Campers (rising grades 10th-12th), a variety of activities will center around agirls at picnic table
program theme.  The activities will include vehicles such as discussions, skits, Shareshops, and worship exploring issues such as spirituality, Christian values, societal problems, and personal growth.  There is structured group time and activities, and free time scheduled throughout each day.

Adventurers:  Special Session for Special People!adventurer wheel dance

All of Trinity Center looks forward to Adventurers week.  The love and joy on campus are pure tangible entities.  It is absolutely impossible to have a bad week when the Adventurers are around.

penn with adventurersadventurers in the poolThis camp session is designed for persons of all ages with mental and/or physical special needs.  The activities for this session are based on our traditional programs and adapted where necessary so everyone can have the “camp” experience in spite of limitations.  We have one camper who has attended for over 20 years!

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 Adventurer Floating in pool

Camp Facility and Island Setting!
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Camp Trinity is situated along the Bogue Sound and includes waterfront climate-controlled cabins with indoor bathrooms, dorm life covered recreation building, outdoor recreation field, challenge course, assembly building, dining room, boat docks, campfire circles, Sanders service at sanders pointPoint Outdoor Chapel, and oceanfront Pavilion.
Many different waterfronts are available to campers.  Sailing, canoeing and marsh exploration take place in Bogue sound. Swimming lessons, free swim, and waterboys sand castlecarnival events happen around the Olympic sized pool.  Swimming, sand castle building, games, and beach walks occur on the Trinity Center private beach accessed by a tunnel under the island’s main highway.

Something for Everyone!

sittin n thinkinLike to attend Camp, or know someone who would, if only the family budget allowed?  Camp Trinity has a financial assistance policy for those who might otherwise be unable to attend.  Contact the camp office for a financial assistance form or more information.  getting in sailboatsFinancial assistance applications are reviewed in the Spring when the total amount of available funds is known.  Financial assistance scholarships are made possible through gifts and memorial contributions to Camp Trinity.

 

Can’t Wait Until Summer?Here no see no



Already know and love Camp Trinity?  dance
If you are 8th through 12th grade, get a taste of camp in January at the Camp Trinity Reunion.  Every winter, former campers candlelightget together to see old friends anCentrum Goofd participate in both some well-loved camp activities as well as sample some new ideas that might show up at the next summer session.  In any case, any reason to come to Trinity Center is a good reason.  Call us for more information!

 

BIG SWEEP Saturday, October 18th

Come Sweep the Beach at Trinity!

During the month of October, communities of Carteret County are participating in the 28th Annual Big Sweep.  Although the kick-off statewide is the first weekend, we extend participation throughout the month.  Saturday, October 18th is the day Trinity Center and our Sound to Sea program contributes to the Pine Knoll Shores Big Sweep as part of our ongoing effort to keep our beloved beaches and waterways clean.

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If you love our beaches, please join us on the Beach at 10:00AM, Saturday, October 18, 2014.  Trinity Center will provide work gloves, trash bags and other tools.  You bring the sunscreen and water bottle.

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Volunteers will also log the amount and type of items collected, and how many animals suffered entanglements, to add to the statewide record tracking the types of trash ebb and flow over our waterways.

In 2013, 645 volunteers covered over 24 miles resulting in the removal of over 2500 pounds of trash from Carteret County waterways.

Some Big Sweep Tips for participation:

  • Take a hat or visor and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun.
  • Wear old, comfortable clothes. You will get dirty.
  • Take a snack and a drink along. You’ll probably get thirsty.
  • Bring some insect repellent and a pair of gloves.
  • Make sure your shoes are sturdy and have closed toes. Your shoes may get wet. Do not go barefoot.
  • Stay with a partner or group, and be sure that children are supervised by an adult.
  • Wear a life jacket if you’ll be in a boat. Do not wade into the water to gather debris if the current is fast. Never enter the water unless you know its depth and are wearing a life jacket. Be safe and careful.
  • Watch for snakes and spiders. Be careful of poison oak and poison ivy.
  • Watch out for steep, slippery, and unstable banks. If you are unsure of conditions, find a safer place or ask for assistance.
  • Do not touch medical waste, chemical containers, barrels, pesticides, or other dangerous items. Note their location and tell your site coordinator.
  • Do not touch any animals, dead or alive. Trapped or injured animals may bite, and they can carry disease. Alert your site coordinator.
  • Have a safe, fun time!

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Need a Personal Retreat?

Do you need to step away from your busy life?  Can’t wait for our Pelican House Personal Retreat in July?  Have some unexpected free time coming up and don’t know how to spend it?

Perfect for squeezing into busy summer schedules, Trinity Center has availability 

for short-term Individual or Family Retreats on the weekend of June 20-22, 2014.*

ImageTrinity Center is waiting for you!  If you have stayed with us before for either a Group or Pelican House Retreat, then you know Trinity Center is the perfect place to take some deep breaths and indulge in much needed personal time for yourself, or quality time with your family.Image

Come relax on our beach, play in our pool, walk our dune and salt marsh trails, and enjoy our friendly staff and home-style hospitality. Spend some leisure time at local attractions like Fort Macon, the Maritime Museum’s Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit, or the N.C. Aquarium’s Summer Dinosaur Exhibit which is a big hit with families.  Attending an outdoor music concert or movie is a unique summer treat as is just walking along the beach as the sun sets.

ImageOur rooms include a double bed, single bed, and private bath.  Guests share our central living rooms including comfortable furniture, a small kitchenette with ice and coffee machines, television and–if you must contact the outside world–Wi-Fi access.  Buffet-style meals may be available for an additional cost in our common dining room at set times, or instead opt to enjoy one of the many local restaurants.

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We are also now taking limited reservations for our well-loved Beachside rooms.  

To inquire about June 20th or other available dates, call 1-888-874-6287 ext. 11 and speak to Mickie.

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We’d love to have you come for a visit!

 

 

 

 

*Based on availability, Cluster rooms are $65/night for double-occupancy.  There is an added $5 fee for each person over two, per room (roll-away beds are available).  Credit card required to hold reservation.  Meal-plans are at additional cost and must be booked at time of reservation.  No cancellation/No refund policy goes into effect three business days before arrival.