Trinity Church donates to Heifer International
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Tanner Winborn cares for Lily, who visited Trinity Church on behalf of Heifer International. PHOTO/KEN POWERS

Northborough - Trinity Church in Northborough was the place to be the first Sunday in Lent and it had the sight to see: a sheep taking part in worship service.

The animal, which the children of Rev. Cynthia Maybeck's flock named "Lily," wasn't sitting in a pew singing hymns. Maybeck used the sheep to help the children of the congregation understand Psalm 23, which contains the line of scripture, "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

The phrase is from a psalm of David, who was a shepherd.

As Maybeck explained the duties and responsibilities of a shepherd, out of the back staircase came Lily, guided by Tanner Winborn, 11, of Shrewsbury. They made their way up the middle aisle, Lily being coerced along by the ample supply of hay Tanner had with him.

"I was really excited and honored to be chosen," Tanner said. "They could have easily picked someone else; there were a lot of kids that wanted to do it, but they chose me. I've tried to take it seriously and I tried to lead the sheep as well as I could, but it's a pretty stubborn animal."

Lily's appearance in church had an additional meaning, as Maybeck and Sunday School Superintendent Nancy Robbins explained following the service that the first Sunday of Lent was also the kick-off of the church's Lent Mission Project, which is to raise money for Heifer International.

Heifer International's local affiliation is with Overlook Farm in Rutland, which provided Lily for the visit.

"We've been raising money for Heifer Project for several years," Maybeck said. "Not only is it a great cause, it's the type of project that everyone can participate in."

One of the major Heifer International fund-raisers is having the children of the church save money in banks they make and decorate to look like sheep. If a church member can save 120 quarters during Lent, Robbins explained, it will be enough to purchase one sheep, goat or pig for the Heifer Project.

One year Trinity Church was honored by Heifer International with its Ark Award, meaning that the church, during its fund-raising drive, had raised enough money to purchase two of every animal Heifer International provides for the country they were helping.

"We saw this as a way to give to these countries that we're helping something that will continue to benefit them," Robbins said. "Dan West, the founder of Heifer International, said he thought about the proverb, 'Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, you have fed him for a lifetime.' West modified it to apply to Heifer International. 'Give not a cup, but a cow.'"