On June 14, the Session held a congregational meeting to report on the first six months we have spent discerning our future. This discernment process has involved after-worship lunches, dinners in members homes, prayer, new initiatives, conversation and study. The Session has not come up with a final plan, but our direction is becoming clearer and the Session is hopeful about the future that God is calling us to.

What we have learned

• Through our discerning process, we have learned some important things about our congregation:
• Mission is key. Members desire to be more involved in mission and we believe that this what makes God happy.
• Justice is key. Trinity for a long time has focused on justice ministries and peacemaking. This commitment to justice also comes to life as we live out our Statement of Welcome.
• Worship is central to our life together, but we realize that we have many preferences.
• Our location is key - Trinity is very much a church that belongs in University City.
• Health of the church is directly related to the spiritual growth of members.

How we are responding / How we can respond

• Leadership - Trinity needs strong leadership from its pastors, staff and elders in this time of transformation. Leadership is lived out in setting direction, giving guidance and encouraging involvement on the part of members. As we move into the future, more is going to be required of leaders. More will also be required of our members. One elder used the word "ownership." Every member of the congregation needs to view him or herself as an owner of the ministry that God calls us to and then act on that ownership with passion and faithfulness.
• Current Actions - This season of discerning has not only been an exercise of the mind and spirit, but has involved new initiatives. Some important initiatives that have been started in this season are: The Commons@The Loop (Trinity's new Saturday evening worship service), the creation of the Stewardship Team, the Spirituality Center in Lent, and the Bridging & Bonding small groups. Each of these efforts have come about from the passions of staff and members and each adds to the vitality of our congregation.
• Our Building - Our building is a blessing and a burden. Discerning has led us to re-affirm that our location is critical to our ministry. Trinity simply would not work further west or in most parts of the city. The building's structure offers flexibility (especially downstairs) as the space can be configured many ways as our ministry grows and changes. However, the building also has many immediate issues with safety (the tower), accessibility (elevator) and maintenance (sanctuary windows). In addition, our current building is not financially sustainable without membership/pledging growth as we currently spend close to $1000 per Sunday worshipper per year in building costs! As is, our building is also not environmentally sustainable. These facts led us to consider moving (see above) or tearing down and rebuilding (costly, not environmentally sound). For now, our recent energy audit is guiding us in areas of possible savings which also improve our environmental impact. With the information gathered at the audit and the building physical, we hope to transform the building into one that meets ministry needs, is environmentally conscious and provides a safe, welcoming and accessible space.
• Joint Ministry - Over the past six months, the Sessions of Trinity and First Presbyterian Church have been exploring together possibilities for joint ministry, conversations that at some point could lead to a merger. At this point, both congregations are in times of discernment and do not feel that direct merger conversations will help them with that process. But joint ministry entails far more than merger. While we are both exploring our futures, we will plan joint activities and worship so we can get to know each other better and build a foundation for future conversations about what joint ministry God is calling us to. Our first joint ministry will be Vacation Bible School this July.
• Financial Realism - In order to strengthen Trinity and its finances, both now and in the future, Session has committed to end the reliance on Endowment's annual $80,000 for the church's operating budget. This change will occur with the 2010 budget. With the current state of the economy and the markets, the Endowment funds may or may not be available in 2010. To fulfill this commitment, some deep cuts will be made. Even with the cuts, the budget will run a deficit for the next three years, but the goal is to have the operating expenses covered by the pledges and gifts of Trinity's members. The change will allow Trinity to emerge financially stronger and healthier. If Endowment funds do become available in the future, the funds could be used to strengthen the core values of Trinity. The Endowment funds could go toward new mission work, special projects, or new initiatives. Overall, this new commitment will involve cuts, but we will become better financial stewards. Church savings will be used wisely, and the Endowment will be preserved for the future. The core values of Trinity are preserved with greater flexibility going forward to build and grow these values.
• Growth - God calls the church to a great future - a future where the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms the church and the world. Trinity called to participate in that future. And we will move into that future as we grow as a congregation. Right now, Trinity's ministry and finances are not sustainable. But our values and commitments are too important to let disappear. As we grow as a congregation, we will be able to expand our ministry of peacemaking, justice, and outreach. Growth does not simply happen; growth is a choice. Each of us has to choose growth for our church to grow. The first choice we must make is our own spiritual growth. All we have to do is look to the early church: numerical growth happened as the early believers grew in their own faith. In the coming months, the Session will be developing plans for the building, the budget, and growth. These plans will be challenging and far-reaching, but they will be help us to get to a healthier and more vital future.

A word from Dan: I appreciate the Session and the congregation's call to a higher level of leadership. I know we have the necessary building blocks in place for a new era of growth and vitality at Trinity. I also know that all of us will need to personally go through a period spiritual growth as we prepare for this time. I want to make a promise and issue an invitation as we enter into this new time. The promise: I will be more direct about where I think we need to go and how I think we need to get there. I am sometimes vague about expressing my thoughts, so I will be more precise and more direct. The invitation: I need for every member of the congregation to be direct with me with questions, hopes, and concerns. I know that sometimes members think that I am too busy or not interested in feedback. Let me say directly: I am deeply interested in what members think about our direction and the decisions we are making. It is never a burden to receive input or even to have debates about it. Please trust that the Holy Spirit will hold us together in our agreements as well as our disagreements.

When the church and its leadership entered into a time of intentional discerning, the congregation was promised a time for checking in on the process, the progress, the challenges and the realizations. Plan to stay after worship on Sunday, June 14^th to share a potluck lunch and engage in a crucial conversation as we work together to move forward into God's plan for Trinity.

Mark your calendars: We will gather for our second potluck lunch and conversation about the April discerning questions after worship. For lunch, Last names A-G: please bring dessert or bread., Last names H-P: a salad or side to share, Last names Q-Z: main dish. No need to RSVP, but if you have questions or can help set up and/or clean up, please contact Elders Dave Nelson or Sharon Christopher: If you are unable to attend, you can write your thoughts on your insert during this month and place them in the basket in the Narthex or email the church.

- Stacy Shupe, Trinity Elder

At Trinity, we have entered a time of discerning God's will for our future together. During this time, we encourage members and friends of Trinity to pray, discuss, and listen carefully to the still small voice that speaks in so many ways. In March, we asked members to pray about and reflect on the following questions:

• I love it when we as a church ...
• Even though it does not appeal to me, I know there are members of Trinity who love it when we...
• God loves it when we as a church...

On March 29^th, members and friends of our Trinity family gathered for a potluck lunch and small group discussions of these questions. Being an elder, I attended this lunch and the follow-up discussion we had at our Session meeting the week after.

During the lunch on Sunday March 29, I felt a sense of deep fellowship with the others at my table. A couple of us had been at Trinity for a while, but the others were newer - some have only been attending for a few months. As we discussed what we loved about Trinity and what does not appeal to us, we spoke honestly and learned about each others' spiritual lives. The desire for more fellowship opportunities was something we all agreed with as we enjoyed our time together.

A few days later, the Session met. During our discussion, we noticed some distinct patterns in the responses from the dinner. Dan typed up every single response that was given on Sunday as well as those e-mailed in, dividing them roughly by topic. The comments about what we loved centered most heavily on worship & music and fellowship, but we also expressed a strong love of our outreach, spiritual growth, and commitment to diversity. For us as a Session this made sense. We know that worship & music, fellowship, outreach, spiritual growth, and diversity are aspects that Trinity members and friends care deeply about and love about our church. Comments about what does not appeal to certain individuals but does appeal to others focused on worship & music with some comments about fellowship and spiritual growth. This also made sense to us, since most of the "opposing" viewpoints people at Trinity have center around worship & music. Worship, music and fellowship are largely a matter of preference and taste, so it is expected that these areas will show the most disagreement. However, when we looked at the comments for what God loves, we noticed a different emphasis. A commitment to outreach, diversity, and spiritual growth received the overwhelming majority of responses with some unified comments about the importance of worshipping God together and having times of strong fellowship.

We as a Session found this to be something we should really reflect on together as a church. How are we using our resources of time and money? Are we being faithful stewards of what God has given us? How can we best focus our efforts on what we feel God is calling us to do? If we know God loves our commitment to outreach, diversity, and spiritual growth, how can we - individually, and as a church - live this out?

The 49^th chapter of Isaiah was written at a time of crisis for God's people. They were living in exile in Babylon, away from everything that was comfortable and familiar. The future seemed bleak and they didn't know how best to move forward. Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke words of hope to the people. Below is a short portion of Isaiah's prophecy spoken in that time of crisis.

Isaiah 49:5-6

And now the LORD says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength-he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

1. This passage recalls that God is the source of our strength and identity. In what ways have you seen God's faithfulness in the life of Trinity?

2. This passage is surprising because it doesn't imagine a future that is a restoration of the past; rather it imagines a future that is more profound than what has already happened. What greater ministry, what greater witness do you hear God calling Trinity to at this time?

Guidance for Prayer

Some Christians have a natural gift for praying-prayer comes easily and naturally. But for many of us, prayer is struggle. Each month we will offer some guidance on different ways to pray. This month, you can find guidance for a variety of styles of prayer in the Lenten Spirituality Center in God's Creation.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina is the ancient practice of "holy reading." Lectio Divina is a way of hearing God through the reading and praying of scripture. Lectio Divina usually begins with a short passage (you can use the one above if you like). You will read the passage three times. The first time read the whole passage through (you can do this silently or aloud) so you hear the whole passage. Pause. The second time you read the passage, listen for the word or phrase that "shimmers" or calls you to pay attention to it. Pause. Read the passage a third time paying close attention to the passage that "shimmered." When you are done with your third reading, pray or breath the word or phrase that presented itself to you. Allow that word or phrase to speak to you, to guide your thinking or your meditation. After a time of prayer, thank God for God's word to you.

I love it when we as a church...

Outreach (11)

• Engage in outreach through Habitat, Food Pantry, Spirituality Center, Adult Education, etc.
• We talk about social justice issues
• Do mission together
• Live outside ourselves
• Engage in works that promote social justice - mission outreach
• Allow others to use our facility
• Get involved in new things to help other people
• Help people in need
• Do things together as a group/community to serve others (New Orleans, MCU)
• Promote the food pantry and everything that does into it
• Join together publicly to support the marginalized, those who cannot speak up for themselves, and the powerless

Diversity (4)

• Embrace different faiths/diversity
• Practice inclusiveness
• Live up to our statement of welcome
• Practice openness and diversity

Worship & Music (22)

• Involve children in worship, fundraising, etc.
• Hold Palm Sunday parade
• Sing together
• Listen to the Bell Choir
• Receive communion by intinction
• Show musical creativity
• Continue old traditions
• Sing as a congregation
• Have children in church
• Include the children
• Children participate in worship
• Have music that has variety and talent
• Have worship services and have good sermons
• Have multicultural music in worship
• Use many different expressions of faith in worship - music; prayer styles
• Have outside music activities
• Are all respectful of our time of prayer
• Are led in our singing by section leaders whom we hear above the rest
• Receive the benediction at the end of the service and then mingle and leave
• Sing new music that is uplifting (not dreary) and not overly difficult for us challenged singers
• Keep old traditions, like the Jesse Tree
• Bring in interesting instruments - brings everyone together - gives goose bumps - want to keep singing

Fellowship (22)

• Practice regular fellowship (like this event)
• Trivia nights
• Eat together
• Have dinners in homes
• Have small groups in homes to get to know those you wouldn't otherwise
• Hold small groups
• Greet each other coming in and leaving
• Have pot lucks
• Feel the warmth of members - outreach to new visitors
• Go to Mound Ridge - tie-dye shirts, roast marshmallows, doing thing with friends from church outside of church
• Do things as a community - Maundy Thursday, Easter breakfast, other times of fellowship
• Do things to build our community - Mound Ridge, Maundy Thursday, interactive concerts, Boys Choir of Kenya; kid-inclusive activities
• Have intergenerational activities - I want to get to know people's children; get to know people more than for the 5 minutes after church or passing the peace.
• Go to Mound Ridge
• Have lunch
• Have social gatherings
• Have coffee hour downstairs with many attending
• Play
• Pursue internal ministry - address needs of our own members (mentioning members in the bulletin)
• Welcome new members; sing the welcome song
• Do things with children and young adults
• Do things together like Mound Ridge, joint meals, Habitat for Humanity and small groups

Spiritual Growth (9)

• Listen to God
• Using our whole range of gifts that span age differences
• Celebrate what other people are doing
• Bring in outside "pros" for adult ed
• Pray
• Go to Sunday School
• Are challenged to think about God, Jesus, faith and spirituality as we do from many of the spiritual education sessions
• Taught different ways to pray and find peace such as with Dawn's prayer stations.
• Have members who participate without being asked

Even though it does not appeal to me, I know there are members of Trinity who love it when we...

Outreach (1)

• Use so little of our budget to support mission, ministry and outreach

Diversity (0)

Worship & Music (22)

• Have professional-quality musicians perform in worship
• Have "elaborate" events are held for members of the church
• Small children flop around in the front of the church during the worship service.
• At the end of worship we sit and wait for a short piece of music to be played.
• Have the organ played and sing "stuffy" hymns
• Take communion by intinction
• Are served communion in our seats
• March outside to music
• Sing slow hymns
• Have lots of organ music
• Have the choir up in the choir loft
• Have bagpipes
• Have children present in worship even if it may interfere with others' experience
• Have sounds of children: some people are bothered during worship
• Have modern lyrics (post-1970) to old hymns
• Have bagpipes
• Have traditional church music
• Have a regularly structured church service
• Sing old gospel music
• Change tradition
• Applaud during service
• Have the choir typically in the choir loft

Fellowship (5)

• Have a church picnic
• Have retreats
• Do committee work
• Have Presbytery meetings
• Attend retreats

Spiritual Growth (4)

• Do arts & crafts
• Have adult ed in lecture style instead of interactive
• Have the Spirituality Center (not my cup of tea)
• Offer Bible study opportunities

Building (2)

• Paint doors new colors
• Continue to finance/stay in our building

God loves it when we as a church...

Outreach (15)

• Share our creativity and talents with each other and the wider community we are in.
• Give back to the community
• Serve our community
• Help people in need
• Use our gifts to help other as much as we can
• Reach out to the community
• Go outside of ourselves
• Engage in mission outreach
• Are more recognized in the community for good works
• Pray for peace
• Do outreach in the world
• Show concern for others
• Act for the good of others/volunteer
• Offer mission trips (Guatemala, New Orleans, etc.)
• Extend service to other countries

Diversity (13)

• Can come as we are
• Accept all peoples
• Actively live out our welcome statement and look for new ways to embrace it
• Help other and are open to all
• Repeat and embrace ours statement of welcome
• Live up to our statement of welcome
• Welcome everyone even those who are not like us
• Treat the poor as part of our community
• Minister to children
• Include children
• Open our arms, inclusiveness
• Love and respect all people
• Embrace diversity/inclusiveness

Music & Worship (5)

• Come to the worship service and not just spiritual education or events.
• Pray and worship
• Are joyous and spontaneous in worship
• Have Peter and other children in worship
• Worship together

Fellowship (4)

• Build community and get to know one another.
• Care for each other (the sick, the grieving, the lonely, those in financial straits, those in emotional straits)
• Serve others, reach in to show care for our own flock
• Connect/get to know each other/show concerns and joys for one another

Spiritual Growth (13)

• Seek earnestly to become more Christ-like individually and as a community
• Enhance the spirituality and faith of our children.
• Get excited about our faith
• Pray together
• Know there is a God
• Spread God's word
• Listen
• Listen to each other sincerely
• More from "right thinking" to "right living"
• Teach and learn
• Are informal, comfortable
• Do our part
• Are open-minded

- Rev. Dr. Daniel Anderson-Little, Pastor

Trinity Church continues in a season of discerning as we seek God's will for our future. Building on our February small group dinners and March potluck discussion, we continue this congregational conversation with a new round of questions. We will have a church potluck lunch on April 26 to discuss our insights into these questions.

The 49th chapter of Isaiah was written at a time of crisis for God's people. They were living in exile in Babylon, away from everything that was comfortable and familiar. The future seemed bleak and they didn't know how best to move forward. Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke words of hope to the people (Isaiah 49:5-6):

And now the LORD says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength - he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

1. This passage recalls that God is the source of our strength and identity. In what ways have you seen God's faithfulness in the life of Trinity?

2. This passage is surprising because it doesn't imagine a future that is a restoration of the past; rather it imagines a future that is more profound than what has already happened. What greater ministry, what greater witness do you hear God calling Trinity to at this time?

If you cannot attend the lunch, you are encouraged to write down your responses and drop them off at church, mail them, or send them via email. Your input will help the Session as it leads the congregation into the future. Your bulletin inserts will also continue to offer guidance for different types of prayer to help with your discerning.

Each month during our season of discerning, the Session will provide specific and concrete questions that each of you can think about and pray about for the month. On the last Sunday of the month, we will have a lunch after worship to share what we are learning and discerning. If you cannot attend the lunch, you are encouraged to write down your responses and drop them off at church, mail them to the church, or send them in via email. Your input will help the Session as it leads the congregation into the future.

1. I love it when we as a church....
   
   
2. Even though it does not appeal to me, I know there are members of Trinity who love it when....
   
   
3. God loves it when we as a church....

Mark your calendars for a lunch & time of group discerning after worship on Sunday, April 26. Your bulletin insert asks 3 discerning questions to pray on during the month of March as we move forward together as a church. We will gather for lunch and conversation about these questions on Sunday, March 29th after worship. This will be a potluck meal. We will repeat this process monthly until our congregational discerning update meeting on June 14th.

For the first month, the meal assignments are:

1. I love it when we as a church....
2. Even though it does not appeal to me, I know there are members of Trinity who love it when...
3. God loves it when we as a church....

Some Christians have a natural gift for praying-prayer comes easily and naturally. But for many of us, prayer is struggle. Each month we will offer some guidance on different ways to pray. This month, you can find guidance for a variety of styles of prayer in the Lenten Spirituality Center in God's Creation.

Breath Prayer
Get into a comfortable position (one suggestion: sit in a straight backed prayer, place your feet flat on the ground, and place your hands palms up on your thighs). Take three breaths-in through you nose and out through your mouth. As you breathe in, picture that your breath carries the Holy Spirit into your being. As you breathe out, let your breath carry your worries and anxieties away from you. After three breaths, sit calmly and ask God to be present to you. If extraneous thoughts pop into your head ("Did I turn off the lights in my closet?" "I must remember to pick up some milk", etc.), gently breathe them out so your mind and spirit can be clear and focused. In the silence allow God to speak to you. What is God saying? What images is God placing in your mind?

Discerning is a process that gives us a clear picture of the future that God is leading us to. We discern by looking back (not only at our own history, but in scripture as well) and seeing how God has been faithful to God's promises. We also discern by noticing how God is active in our midst right now. As spring and new growth is in the air, lots of new things are blooming at Trinity these days.

Stewardship Team
In response to the financial challenge that we as a church are experiencing, a new Stewardship Team has been formed. The members of this team responded to an invitation at the Annual Meeting to help the church develop a more intentional and wide-reaching stewardship emphasis. This team will help Trinity develop a year round stewardship emphasis. They will have regular articles in the Trinity News, work with Dan to have occasional testimonies in worship that will be paired with sermons, oversee the annual pledge campaign and will make sure that all of our special offerings are coordinated. Brian Muegge is chairing this team. Other members of the team are Jenn Clodi, Evan Reid, and Larry Pontious. If you would like to join the team, please speak with Brian.

Rummage Sale
This actually isn't new as Trinity used to have rummage sales in the past. But we haven't had a rummage sale in the last seven or eight years. This year's rummage sale is being spearheaded by Elder Cheryl Evans. Cheryl was motivated to coordinate this effort as a way to raise money to keep our paid section leaders in the choir. The rummage sale will be held at Trinity on Saturday, April 18. We need people to donate items, to help set-up and price items, and work at the sale on April 18. Please speak with Cheryl if you can help us raise money to help maintain a strong and vital music ministry.

Joint Ministry Conversations with First Presbyterian Church
Trinity Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church have, for nearly a century, sat less than a mile away from each other. In that time the two congregations have engaged in little joint ministry. As both congregations are now discerning their futures, we have entered into a discussion with First Church exploring the possibility of joint ministry. Joint ministry could range from doing mission projects together to sharing staff to merging the two congregations into one. At this point, we don't know where this conversation will lead (more discerning is needed!), but it is exciting to explore how God is calling both churches to be a vital and effective witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in University City.

- Questions and Answers with Rev. Dr. Daniel Anderson-Little, Pastor

Over the past number of weeks, the Session at Trinity has been talking about our present financial situation and how we will be addressing it in the weeks and months to come. What follows is a Question and Answer session with myself to address some of the issues that are before us.

Q: How big is the deficit for 2009?

A: The Session voted to begin the year with a $74,000 deficit. This amount assumed that we would receive $300,000 in pledges. Because additional pledges have come in, as of Feb. 18, our deficit now stands at $67,000. I anticipate it will continue to shrink as more pledges come in. Every Trinity member can help reduce that deficit through additional giving.

Q: How long can Trinity run such deficits?

A: Not long. We began this year with church savings a little higher than $420,000. These savings can help us weather difficult times, but every time we spend from our savings, the money is gone. Additionally, our goal should be to preserve as much of our savings as possible so they can be used to help expand our ministry and grow the church.

Q: Are you worried about this financial time?

A: I would say that I am concerned, but not worried. I am concerned because we must act wisely to make sure that we get Trinity on a sustainable path. This will call forth wisdom and flexibility from all of us. And we know we don't have endless time to address our financial challenges. But I am not worried because God is always faithful. God has richly blessed this congregation first with faithful, talented, and caring people. Even if we had no cash reserves, I wouldn't worry because God always provides what we need to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. But we do have substantial cash reserves; this is due to the faithfulness of our forbearers. The generosity of previous generations can help us create a ministry that will endure for generations to come.

Q: So how will we decide what we should do to arrive at this sustainable future? How will we know what to cut, what to keep, and what to add? That seems like an almost impossible task.

A: It is an almost impossible task-but it's not impossible. We will do what the church has done for thousands of years; we will enter into a time of discernment.

Q: You use that term "discernment" a lot. What exactly is discernment?

A: Discernment is a discipline that enables us to begin to understand God's will for us, for our church and for the world. Discernment is really a way of listening as God speaks. We discern in a variety of ways: through prayer, which is not only speaking our needs to God, but listening for God as God speaks to us. We discern as we listen to the hopes and dreams of our fellow members and as we listen to the hurts and needs of the world. We discern as we read and study scripture together, as we hear of God's love for creation and humanity. So discerning is a matter of listening; it is also a matter of sharing - of sharing what we are hearing and trusting that the Holy Spirit will bring us to a place of understanding. We will make choices based on that understanding.

Q: Where does discernment happen?

A: Discernment happens every time we make an important decision in our own lives. It happens at Trinity every time we gather as God's people - in worship, in education, in fellowship, in service. The Session will provide a variety of venues in the coming weeks and months so that all members of the congregation can listen together and share what the Holy Spirit is revealing to them.

Q: This sounds a bit fuzzy - like there is no real plan. Is that the case?

A: Discernment is a very powerful way for the church to receive guidance; but we enter into the process without a guaranteed outcome. It is my experience that if we are faithful to the discipline of discernment, then God will be faithful in revealing God's will to us with a clarity sufficient to act.

Q: What else is going on that calls for discerning?

A: There are two important conversations that call forth our most faithful discernment. One is a new conversation that has started with First Presbyterian Church, just a half a mile to the west of Trinity on Delmar. First Pres is going through some similar challenges to Trinity, and the two Sessions have started a conversation exploring joint ministry. In the weeks and months to come, we will be discerning whether or not God is calling these two congregation to a common ministry. These conversations could lead to a serious discussion about a merger between the two congregations (a process that would result in one new congregation with leadership and location to be determined); it could lead to sharing mission and ministry in our community; or we may discern that God is not calling us to a specific relationship with First Pres. We can only know what to do through discernment.

Q: You said there were two conversations - what is the second?

A: The second conversation has to do with replacing the elevator. Our current elevator is obsolete - we anticipate that in the next couple of years it will either break down and not be able to be fixed, or the state will not let us use it because it will be out of code compliance. If Trinity is going to be true to its calling to be a welcoming and inclusive church, it is essential to have an elevator in our building. But this begs the question: given the high ongoing cost of maintaining the building, the enormous carbon footprint of the building, and the high cost of a new elevator, is God calling us to stay in this building or do we need to explore other issues?

Q: And what do you think we should we do?

A: I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that these questions can't be solved through simple analysis. Yes, we need the best information we can gather, and the Session and its commissions are hard at work doing that, but in the end, the path we must take will only be known through discernment.

Q: Do you really think that will work?

A: Absolutely. It's why the church has not only survived but thrived through depressions and recessions, through persecutions and dark days. God is speaking to us - we only need to listen.

In coming weeks, you will be given opportunities for further conversation about the issues raised at the annual meeting and in today's insert. Stay tuned and be a part of our moving forward together.