Trinity Presbyterian Church is in a time of great transition right now. Paul Vasile is leaving his position as Minister of Music to take the same position at a church in New York City. Susan Hayes is concluding her service as our Interim Minister of Christian Education as she is about to be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Ballwin, MO. Rhonda Dunbar, our youth leader for the past three years, is moving to Richmond, VA, to attend seminary. Dan Tilden, one of the assistants with the youth group for the past three years, is graduating from Washington University, and will serve with Teach for America in North Carolina. Dan Haeusser and Carissa Gigliotti, who have been active with the Trinity Choir, FEAST, Bible Study and preaching, are moving to Pennsylvania State University as Dan pursues a post-doctorate degree. Kim Martin and her family are moving to Columbia, MO, so they can be close to her new job. Phew! That's a lot of change!

I have done a lot thinking about this time of transition we are in. Is this all coincidence? Is God up to something? A few observations:

• We don't always like to be reminded of this fact, but change is a constant of life. We grow up, we grow old, our health changes, we are called to new work and service, the culture around us changes. This fact can be hard for the church; all of us need places that provide continuity and peace. For many of us, the church is one of those places and a lot of change disrupts that need. So, many of us enter this time of transition admitting we don't like it.
• Every person who is listed above is moving to a new and exciting chapter of his or her life. We can look at this as our loss (and it is!). But this is also the evidence that God is at work, not only in the lives of those moving, but in each of our lives, calling each of us (whether we are moving or not!) to new patterns of life and service. This is why we have a sending ritual at Trinity: to send people with blessing, and to remind all of us that God is the Lord of our lives and leads us to the places we need to be.
• Transition is a rich time for discernment and seeking new direction. God is present with us all the time and is leading us all the time. But we become especially aware of that presence when our community is changing and when we are feeling sadness and loss. We are reminded that these wonderful servants were brought to us by God and that God will bring new servants - and with that change will come new directions and new opportunities. By approaching this time in prayer and expectancy we will catch glimpses of a new future and will receive new hope and courage to embrace that future.
• While the church and the world around us may change, God does not. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As we find ourselves in the midst of great and even disruptive change, we can enter that time without fear or anxiety because Jesus continues to bless us every day with power and grace.

I am certain that the coming months will be full of sadness and even, at times, confusion - that is the nature of change. I am also certain that we will find blessings upon blessings in this time and that together we will arrive at a new day, with renewed purpose and renewed faith.

Mark your calendars to gather in the Dining Room Friday, May 9^th for a meal and some music as we celebrate all that we have experienced together and all that Paul Vasile has shared with us and the community during his ministry with us.

• Time: 6:30 pm
• Dinner: $13/adults; $7/kids 8-11; kids under 8 are free
• Kids who do not want to stay for the program will have childcare in God's Creation
• Please RSVP to the church office (725-3840) by Friday, May 2nd for a catering count
• Donations towards a gift for Paul are also being accepted in the office. Call or email Liz Nelson for details.

- Susan Hayes

My plan upon arriving at TPC was to lay low, to avoid getting "too close" to you all. I had thought I could leave my heart out of the experience; I could be professional, detached even. I did not intend to love you but to serve God and get out. And then I met your children...your beautiful, gifted, loving children. They don't even know the word "interim" - they move through their innocent days full of wonder and joy facing the future with wide open hearts and minds. I loved them immediately...your quiet and edgy teens, your lively and curious pre-teens, your precious and precocious little ones and oh...those babies! I hold fast to memories of Julia falling asleep in my lap at Mound Ridge, and Mia presenting me with countless masterpieces of crayon art complete with hearts and I love you's, and Tati out growing her shyness and bounding into Sunday school like she can't wait, and Alex and Ira wise beyond their years, and Peter celebrating worship like the most seasoned disciple, and Karl, just Karl...and Noah raising his hand to help whenever asked...and Hayden and Tessa receiving their river baptism...and Leah craving M & M's...I celebrate with you our eager and committed youth worship leaders. Each of your children has touched my heart and gifted me along the way.

And, I thank you. I thank you for caring for me as I waited on God's call. I thank you for including me in your story and sending me off to continue mine. I have been blessed for being here. Blessed because your staff is actually a circle of friends and family who uphold and affirm one another. Blessed because you have touched me and I have grown. Blessed because God is so much smarter than I am and God knew all along I would love you!

I am very excited at the "new thing" God has done for me and St. Mark church and I will take you with me, beloved of God, as we continue to walk together in spirit and serve our amazing God.

- Vicki Carmichael

Paul Vasile's imminent departure from our Music Ministry will leave some pretty big shoes to fill. No, I'm not talking about his organ shoes, though they are big enough (we hope he'll remember to take those with him!). I mean that we need to begin looking for a new way to staff our Music Ministry with faithful and talented servants. The Session, Personnel Commission, Worship and Music Commission and the staff want to take advantage of the interim period to really reflect on the possibilities for this ministry and to discern in what musical direction God is calling us. Before we nominate a search committee to find a leader, we need some time for dreaming. Dr. Dan, Margy Brown (chair of Personnel) and I (chair of Worship and Music) will be appointing a diverse group of people to join us in our dreaming. With the session's blessing we will form a team of dreamers - individuals from a wide variety of niches within our congregation including parents, choir members, instrumentalists, members of different age ranges, and folks who prefer to just listen. We will discuss with our "Music Ministry Needs Dream Team": What kind of music ministry will not only best serve our congregation and enrich our worship time, but will also call us to greater faithfulness, comfort those in need, invite and engage our neighbors, increase our mission and enlighten and enliven our souls? What kind of gifts do we need in such a position? Where and how can we best seek these gifts? How will we know when we have found them? When we believe we have an idea where God is leading, we'll let the session know that it's time for a search committee. During this time of dreaming and discernment, please keep the future of our music ministry in your prayers.

- Diana Gray

Once again the Green Team is planning a special giving opportunity for Mother's Day. However, this year instead of donating live plants to a St. Louis area public garden, the donations will beautify our own Trinity gardens. Before Mother's Day you may make a donation in honor of the mother(s) of your choice, using the forms in the pew books. Please pen an honorary message for the bulletin on Mother's Day and make a contribution. You may attach the donation to the form and place it in the collection plate or send it to Liz Nelson in the church office. Please note that you will not be ordering a specific plant for a Mother's Day sanctuary display. Rather, we will wait to choose and purchase the plants after we have a definite landscape plan.

This leaves the opportunity for anyone who would like to contribute a floral arrangement for the Communion Table on Mother's Day to do so. For Mother's Day or any Sunday, please sign up on the dry-erase board across from the library or contact a member of the Green Team (Luise Hoffman, Elaine Pontious, or me). Thanks for all your support to making our church and grounds more green and beautiful.

New ministry opportunity! An individual or team is needed to organize and operate the church picnic. This is a one-time commitment for a project of short duration. Organizers will have flexibility in setting the date, the location and the content of the picnic. If you enjoy the picnic, get involved so that we have one this year! Please contact Rev. Julie March (725-3840) or Dave Nelson of the Equipping Team if you would like to learn more.

- Norma Vavra

In the Session notes published in the March issue of Trinity News, Stacy Shupe brought to our attention thoughts being currently focused on the Equipping Ministry. As you may remember, a group from Trinity (Lisa Bernhard, Liz Nelson, Dan Anderson-Little and Julie March) attended a week-long conference in Colorado in October 2006 on Equipping. This conference was Julie's first assignment as she was hired to head this ministry. Equipping is being funded by a vitality grant from our Endowment Board through December 2008. So the time has come to examine our progress in this journey and determine where we are to go and how we shall get there.

The Equipping Team has been involved in major one-time programs and ongoing projects. Major programs include: 1) honoring those 80 and above; 2) hosting a mission fair of possible avenues of service within Trinity and out; and 3) the CROP Walk. Information is being gathered on other programs Trinity might become involved with beyond the Food Pantry, Habitat, and youth and adult mission trips.

Another project is the conversations one Equipping Team has been having with recent members to help them find paths of service and equipping them to pursue those. An information database is in process to catalog interests of members to expedite connecting these persons with opportunities to serve. The current "Welcome Team" has developed through Equipping ministry to provide Sunday morning support through the ushers and the snacks for fellowship time in the Narthex.

Prayerful thought needs to be given to the Equipping Ministry. Decisions will be made by the Session in early summer. If you would like your voice to be heard, talk to a member of the Session or the review team (Stacy Shupe, Bonnie Roy, Norma Vavra, Jim Person). Written comments are welcome also. It would be helpful if your thoughts are shared before the June 4^th Session meeting.

- Stacy Shupe

At our last Session meeting, we spent time in small groups interviewing each other about our understanding of equipping and how Trinity's emphasis on it has affected both our personal lives and our life as a church. Our interviews led to a reflective and engaging discussion of the joy, confusion, peace, frustration, and blessings that the Equipping Ministry has brought to us. We also shared our spiritual hopes with each other. As I listened openly to what others shared, I felt somewhat confused about the diversity of views, but I ultimately felt peace that through this process of discernment, we will know where God is nudging us.

- Chris and Stacey Carman

Do you like to shop? Well, then, do we have the opportunity of a lifetime for you! You can shop till you drop for the Winger Food Pantry in May and June. Don't hesitate. Call now for this wonderful opportunity. Contact Stacey to get all the details.

If you would rather shop from home for the food pantry, try this on for size! All you need to do is set up an Amazon.com account through their program called "Subscribe and Save". They will process the order for the food pantry, charge your credit card and ship it directly to us. There is no charge for shipping and there is a 15% discount. You can set it up to automatically order as often as you like. It's that easy. Thanks to Lisa Bernhard for this tip.

The list of items we offer in the food pantry is below:

- Dave Nelson

1. Elise Baechle suggested "Jesus is Risen" for the title of the paper, while Karl suggested "The Good News of Easter". The children agreed to combine the names. Elise took on the title page adding her illustration that she captioned "Jesus went to heaven because he was risen from the dead on Easter Sunday.":
   
2. By Tatiana Pontious. Jesus and an angel:
   
3. By Daniel Hasler. An Easter montage with the cross, the empty tomb, resurrected Jesus and a heart:
   
4. By Elise Baechle. Jesus is nailed to the cross:
   
5. By Evan Hasler. Jesus on the cross.:
   
6. A picture of the cross after Jesus' body was taken down.:
   
7. By Peter McCown. The empty tomb with Jesus walking away while an angel descends.:
   
8. By Tatiana Pontious. Tati's rendition of the Angel in the Tomb.:
   
9. By Mia Schindler. Resurrected Jesus walking away from the empty tomb, while the women meet the angel at the tomb.:
   
10. By Karl Nelson. Jesus (r) appears to the disciples in the locked house at night.:
    
11. By Karl Nelson. Jesus asking the disciples "Now do you see my cuts":
    
12. By Evan Hasler. Jesus showing his cuts - our story that day was doubting Thomas:
    
13. By Tatiana Pontious. Tati drew a picture of Jesus with the disciples inside him.:
    
14. By Daniel Hasler. More Easter symbols with the draped cross from our sanctuary, an Easter egg, Jesus' cross, and Jesus with his wounds.:
    

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. Transitions like the one I am about to undergo are a bit of organized chaos. At the same time I am writing a goodbye to you, I am writing words of introduction to the congregation at Park Avenue Christian Church. At the same time I am selling a house, I am exploring apartments in New York City. I feel something like Janus, the two-faced god in Roman mythology who looks both forward and backward at the same time. The emotions are truly bittersweet and as I reflect on my seven years here at Trinity I feel inclined to share a few words that I hope can adequately sum up my gratitude.

The music ministry of a church is about the gathered people of God singing their praise and prayer from the heart. In the past seven years we have found wonderful and diverse ways to express our joys and grief, our fears and hope, our doubts and our faith, to the God who gave us the gift of music. Worship has welcomed music from so many styles, countries and traditions; gifts have been shared by a steady stream of children, students and professionals; we have heard Scripture sung and proclaimed with great energy, color and depth. But the music ministry has not been done by me. Yes, I have had an important leadership role. I have supported and shaped the congregation's and choir's singing. I have encouraged and cajoled. I have I have taught and shared music that I love. But I am convinced that the music ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church has been done by you all along. On those Sundays when the organ has dropped out of a hymn and I have heard the strong, rich tone of the congregation a cappella, or those moments when I have heard a service response or Psalm refrain sung with great gusto by young and old alike - those are the times that my heart has been filled with incredible joy. I have heard the congregational choir leading worship. And that, my friends, is at the heart of a healthy church - a sign of vitality. And it tells me that the music ministry of this congregation will continue to thrive long after I am gone.

I recently received an email from a regular visitor to the congregation and want to share her words with you as an encouragement. "I think that the greatest tribute that the congregation could offer is to continue the work that you started with community involvement and outreach through the Arts, and continue to integrate the celebration of the Arts with the celebration of the Word." I certainly have no control over the future, trusting that God will bring strong interim leadership and guidance as you begin to search for a new pastoral musician. But I cannot leave without a challenge to keep extending a radical, gracious welcome to all. Over the past years, Trinity has gained a reputation as a congregation that is hospitable to the community, and many of the relationships that we have cultivated have returned countless blessings. Keep it up! And as you reach out, don't forget to keep reaching in, too. Celebrate the amazing gifts within this congregation. There is so much untapped potential - the many talented, young musicians coming up the ranks, as well as the singers, instrumentalists, composers and creatives who are and will become part of the church. Don't let music become something reserved just for a few but be a church that provides a place for all to share their notes, their phrases, their arias or even their kazoo solos. For we have truly and deeply welcomed others only when we have truly and deeply received their gifts.

It has been an incredible honor and joy to serve as the Minister of Music here at Trinity. You have provided a place for me to grow and risk, to succeed and to fail, to share my passion for music and for my faith. You have offered freedom, honesty, support and love in such large measure. I am proud of the work we have done together - building a diverse, inclusive music ministry, a refurbished pipe organ, new choir robes and musical outreach to the community. But, above all, I am proud of the ways that we have grown in our welcome of the new and unfamiliar, in our ability to speak with respect and love about our preferences and differences, and in our openness to the ways that music can bring new life to our faith.

I leave you with the words of another Paul, because he says it better than I ever could. I love you all and will miss you dearly.

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives-words, actions, whatever-be done in the name of Jesus, thanking God every step of the way.

(Colossians 3:14-17, from The Message)

- Liz Nelson, Church Administrator

While there weren't baby toys floating across God's Creation, there certainly was a huge mess in our basement as the heavy rains of Wednesday, April 9th forced rainwater and waste water ("black water") out of the basement bathroom drains and into the nursery, pre-school room and much of the main children's area by Thursday morning. Most wood items were damaged (bookcases, chairs, toys), many foam and plastic toys were contaminated beyond use, and the floor and walls were harmed. We are working with our insurance company to have the area dried, decontaminated and repaired for future use, as well as to replace the many damaged items. We will be back in that space within a few weeks, as we create a safe and welcoming space once again.

March 21, 2008

Dear Pastor Dan, Paul, Liz, Digna and everyone:

Words can never convey the extent of our gratitude and indebtedness to your Church Family for the success of the March 1-12, 2008 residency of the Boys Choir of Kenya with the St. Louis African Chorus. All the boys and their directors are back in their home country and have requested that we lend their voices and hearts to express profound gratitude to you. Thank you, and thank you. May our eyes open to see how God continues to use Trinity Presbyterian to bless and leaven our St. Louis community.

As our brother Paul prepares to assume his new call in New York, we at the St. Louis African Chorus, while we deeply will miss his ministry in the flesh, would like you to know that our relationship with Trinity will remain enduring. For it is Paul's and ours and we believe your wish as well that we nurture the bond we have forged.

Much peace and blessing to all of you.

Sincerely Yours,

Katie Guyton
Chairperson, Board of Directors

Fred Onovwerosuoke, Ph.D.
Chairperson, Board of Directors Founder and Artistic Director

On March 27, 2008, Bradley Roy and his partner John Jones were publicly recognized at the 2007 Fourth District Police Officer Awards Luncheon sponsored by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Downtown St. Louis Partnership held at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. Bradley and his partner were the Officers of the Month in May 2007 for their courage and hard work.

Jennifer Higginbotham

New ministry opportunity! An individual or team is needed to organize and operate the church picnic. This is a one-time commitment for a project of short duration. Organizers will have flexibility in setting the date, the location and the content of the picnic. If you enjoy the picnic, get involved so that we have one this year! Please contact Rev. Julie March (725-3840) or Dave Nelson of the Equipping Team if you would like to learn more.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Don and Patti Twellman to Trinity.Don and Patti have lived in the St. Louis area for the last 45 years. They have two grown children and 5 grandchildren. Their greatest joy is being with their family.Don and Patti are both beyond retirement age but are still happily working. Don is a car salesman for Paul Cerame and Patti works part time for Work Safe Products. Both are huge Cardinal fans. Patti also enjoys needlepoint and belongs to a Monday evening needlepoint circle. They visited Trinity last Christmas Eve for the "no shushing" service and have been attending ever since.Please join me in welcoming two very special people to us to our Trinity family.

- Cheryl and Reed Evans

Richard Hatch was born in Piedmont, MO, the son of a railroad man. He grew up in University City near Pagedale and entered the Seebees during WWII. He served in the St. Thomas, Virgin Islands as a Sergeant in the Seebees, loading and unloading war cargo. He graduated from SW Missouri State in Springfield, MO, studying speech, history and art. But instead of a planned teaching career, he ended up selling, tuning and repairing pianos. For the past 35 years, he has operated a piano business from his small office and plant by his house in U City. He has a few spinets he'd love to sell! He enjoys swimming 3 times a week at the YMCA.

- Art Platt

April 27 through May 18 we will have a series of four classes on the arts and spirituality.

• April 27: Paul Vasile will reflect in how music and faith have come together for him. This is an especially timely topic for Paul to share as he prepares to leave for his new position in New York.
• May 4: Buddhist Art as Skillful Means. Dr. Beata Grant, Professor of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures and Director of Religious Studies at Washington University. Dr. Grant will briefly discuss some of the different uses of artistic images, both painting and sculpture, in Buddhist religious practice. We will look at the religious use of images in various forms of Buddhism, including Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen.
• May 11: Dynamic presenter, Stephanie Sigala, recently retired St Louis Art Museum staff member, will speak on the subject "Compassion" and will discuss how artists communicate love, nurturing and compassion through works from Christian and other religious traditions.
• May 18: Stephanie will speak on "Enlightment" by discussing differing ideas of the transcendent qualities of life and how artists have interpreted them.

...when you are in the Dining Room. Take a look at some options created by member and graphic designer Sharon Christopher. It is time to update our logo and letterhead.

The Green Team is planning a special giving opportunity for Mother's Day. This year, instead of donating the live plants to a St. Louis area public garden, the donations will beautify our very own Trinity gardens. Fill out the form in the pew pad to make a donation in honor of the mother(s) of your choice. Please note that you will not be ordering a specific live plant as we will not be purchasing plants in time for a Mother's Day sanctuary display. Rather we will wait to choose and purchase the plants after we have a definite landscape plan. This leaves the opportunity for anyone who would like to contribute a floral arrangement for the Communion Table on Mother's Day to do so.

Sunday May 3, 8pm in the Sanctuary. The concert includes a world premiere of a new work by St. Louis composer Barbara Harbach, as well as pieces inspired by poetry and literature of St. Louis writers.

Commission members, please note that the Worship & Music Commission will meet this upcoming week, Tuesday, April 15^th at 7:30 pm.

Our 20-30-something fellowship group will gather at Olivette Lanes after worship on Sunday, April 27^th. Come eat some bowling alley snacks (yum!) and bowl with us. Kids will have a lane with bumpers. Call Liz (725-3840) or Carissa for info or to RSVP.

Do you like to shop? Well, then, do we have the opportunity of a lifetime for you! You can shop till you drop for the Winger Food Pantry in May and June. Don't hesitate. Call now for this wonderful opportunity. Contact Stacey Carmen to get all the details.

Shop from Home: If you would rather shop from home for the food pantry, try this on for size! All you need to do is set up an Amazon account through their program called "Subscribe and Save". They will process the order for the food pantry, charge your credit card and ship it directly to us. There is no charge for shipping and there is a 15% discount. You can set it up to automatically order as often as you like. It's that easy. Thanks to Lisa Bernhard for this tip. Contact Stacey Carmen or the office for a list of items we need for the pantry.

Free lecture Monday, April 28 at Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church, 9450 Clayton Rd., 63124 (993-4771). The speaker is Nicholas D. Kristof, Pulitzer prize winning columnist for The New York Times.

...for Trinity members in the news, as well as volunteer opportunities and interesting meetings, lectures, and support groups. Thanks to Wally Klein for keeping it up to date.

- Liz Nelson, Church Administrator

• We will postpone Genny's 90th birthday celebration until the 20th when we are back at Trinity
• We will not hold our new member class Sunday morning--Dan will re-schedule
• Our education series will be re-scheduled
• We WILL hold the Imrat Khan concert Saturday night
• The Deacons, Robe Team, Green Team ,etc. meetings set for Saturday and Sunday can continue as planned as long as the basement isn't used. Please talk with those team leaders for plans
• I will bring our bulletin inserts so we can share important information with each other as usual on Sunday

During fellowship time on Sunday, April 20th we will celebrate Genny Richmond's 90th birthday.

Trinity built in 2001 and 2003. Trinity can build again! Two blocks east of Grand Boulevard and two north of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. The build will be sponsored by Trinity, the Washington University Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and others. Will we raise $5,000? $10,000? $15,000? For $5,000 we get two build days for Trinity volunteers; we get more days if we raise more. Building will start with four consecutive days in August and then continue on twelve Saturdays. Get your hammers and brushes ready! We need your checkbooks, too. To contribute, make a check payable to Trinity Presbyterian Church and write Habitat on the memo line. Talk to Pat Gibbons for more info.

...will rehearse in the Choir room on Friday, April 25 & May 2 at 7:30 pm (note time change) in preparation for singing in worship on May 4th. All are invited to join.