Things are Happening at Trinity...Don't miss this opportunity for Fellowship, Conversation & Collaboration:

Please plan to join members of the Session and fellow congregation members at a Town Hall Meeting and light dinner on Sunday, November 2nd from 6 - 7:30 p.m. in the Dining Room. You will have a chance to learn more about how the Session's typical yearly budget discussion led to intense conversation and a new approach to discovering our future. Come learn and give your input as we discuss the discernment process, our future, and the budget as we plan to better understand God's future for Trinity-one where The Best is Yet To Come! Reservations are strongly encouraged. Childcare will be available. Call the Church Office 314-725-3840 or email tpcucity@swbell.net.

Many of you heard the announcement last Sunday that Birty and Digna's 2 daughters and their families were burned out of their duplex on Saturday night. Karen and her husband and baby lost absolutely everything and Jackie and her husband and 3 children lost almost everything, but everyone is safe. Thanks to everyone who has already reached out with money, clothes, or offers of furniture and household items once they relocate to temporary housing in the next week or so.

Kathie Cahoon (bkmacahoon@charter.net) is coordinating the donation effort and will be our liaison with the families. You can the office with other questions, as well (725-3840).

• Please contact Kathie if you have an item you would like to donate (furniture, clothes, household items). She will coordinate pickup/delivery once they move from the hotel.
• Money (cash or checks) for necessities can be given at the church office (Monday-Thursday, 8:30-4:30 pm), mailed to the Church, or put in the collection plate. Please make all checks out to "Karen Hodgson" and put "fire assistance" or something to that effect in the memo line. She will make sure the money is shared with her sister's family.
• If you have clothing donations (all seasons), you can bring them to the church if you label the bags (which family, which person, etc.) and put them in the corner of the Youth Lounge. Please see below for family size needs:

Family 1: Karen, Charles and Charles, Jr Holloway
Karen: 5' 2", is 7 months pregnant

• tops: XL or maternity
• bottoms: large

Charles: about 5'9"

• 38 waist pants
• tops: large

Charles, Jr (1 yr old)

• wears 12 month clothes (but could use 18 month clothes for cooler weather)
• diapers (unsure of size)

Family 2: Jackie, Leslie, Sasha (11), Leslie, Jr (7), Miles (2) Johnson
Jackie: about 5'4"

• tops: 2x
• bottoms: 20/22

Leslie: about 6'2"

• tops: 2XL
• bottoms: 40 waist, 30 length

Sasha (11):

• misses 15/16 pants
• misses L/XL
• 38 jr bra, sz 8 underwear

Leslie, Jr (7)

• 12 jeans
• 10/12 shirt

Miles (2)

• 3T clothes
• 5/6 diapers

We welcome Lyn Lupo as an affiliate member of Trinity. Lyn has been a Presbyterian most of her life, and has served previously as a Deacon and as a Stephen Minister. A resident of the Skinker-DeBalivere neighborhood, Lyn was born in St. Louis, moved to Minnesota for college and graduate school, then returned to this area. She is an active volunteer with the Independence Center, where she has gotten to know Trinity member Jennifer Higginbotham. She also is a friend of Trinity member Debbie Henry. Lyn most appreciates how comfortable she has felt at Trinity, as well as the friendliness of the congregation and staff. She enjoys meeting new people and looks forward to getting to know others at Trinity!

In joining Trinity Church, Virginia McKabney is coming full circle. Virginia was baptized, grew up at, and was married at Kingshighway Presbyterian Church, one of the churches that merged in 1953 to form Trinity Church. Until she was a teen, Virginia lived in the city. Her family then moved to Normandy, but they kept their membership at Kingshighway. After getting married, Virginia and her husband lived in North County. While living in North County, Virginia moved her church membership to Bellefontaine Methodist Church since that is where she led a Girl Scout troop. For 20 years, Virginia worked for the Riverview School District. She now makes her home in Ballwin. Virginia has one daughter, three granddaughters and three great-granddaughters. Her family is a great source of pride and joy for her. Virginia keeps busy visiting family and with her work in a gardening club.

George Van Hare joins us by transfer from the Covenant Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, CA, where he has been a member for about 8 years, and was in his third year as Clerk of the Session. George conveys to us the sad news that a well-known musician of that church, Isaiah Jones, who lead gospel choirs at Presbyterian gatherings for years, has recently passed away. Isaiah Jones has a song in our hymnal and used to play keyboards for the 5th Dimension. George has deep roots in the Presbyterian Church in that his great-great grandfather was a Presbyterian missionary to the Klondike Gold Rush in Bennett, Skagway and Dawson, traveling by dogsled, and eventually settling in Regina. George's mother is Canadian and lives there presently, but George grew up in Stamford, CT, and later lived in Cleveland and San Francisco. George is married and has three sons, Chris, 15, who attends Clayton Schools, Mark, 21 who is a junior in music at Vassar, and Colin, working in the Bay Area as a chef. George and his wife are both pediatricians, he in Pediatric Cardiology and she in infectious disease. George moved to Saint Louis to become Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Saint Louis Children's Hospital.

How about in church? Do you long to sing out on the hymns in church but worry that you won't sound good? Have you ever thought about singing with the Trinity Choir, but are unsure of your vocal/musical skills? Do you sing "by ear" but want to learn how to read musical notation? Fear no more! A beginning Sight-Singing Class will start on October 2nd at 6:15 p.m. in the choir room. All are welcome to try learning some "new tricks" in this risk-safe environment. This pilot class is expected to run for 10 weeks between October 2 and December 18 (there are two "off-weeks" during that time), but may continue indefinitely depending upon interest level. For more information, contact me at vcarmichael44@gmail.com or call the church office at 314-725-3840.

The 218th General Assembly (2008) encouraged "the Peacemaking Program to produce and identify study guides and discernment materials for individuals, congregations, and presbyteries to help church members and their friends be able to articulate God's calling on their lives in regard to participating in the armed forces, and war." http://www.pc-biz.org/IOBView.aspx?m=ro&id=1731

One such resource is the film "Soldiers of Conscience" (see http://www.socfilm.com/.) Made with the official permission of the U.S. Army, the documentary explores questions such as "When is it right to kill? In the midst of war, is it right to refuse?" The film focuses on eight U.S. soldiers. Some continue to serve; some have sought status as conscientious objectors; all are "soldiers of conscience," torn between the demands of duty and the call of conscience and the tension between spiritual values and military orders. The film provides the opportunity to hear and weigh a variety of positions.

"Soldiers of Conscience" is scheduled for broadcast on P.O.V. on PBS on Thursday, October 16 at 9:00 PM. Check your local listings and contact your local station if it does not plan to air the film.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/soldiersofconscience/preview.html

Copies of the video may also be ordered at http://www.socfilm.com.

The Rev. W. Mark Koenig
Coordinator, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry
General Assembly Council
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202

mark.koenig@pcusa.org
www.pcusa.org/peacemaking

It's color time again! Retirees will meet at the church at 9:30 am on Thursday, Oct. 16th and leave at 9:45 am. The group will drive to Hermann, MO and back by another route, and will dine at The Vintage Restaurant in Hermann. Call the Church office to RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 14th.

On Sunday evening October 26^th , the God's Child Project will host a fundraising dinner at Trinity. Money raised will go to building houses in Guatemala, a project that 3 members of the congregation have participated in. The evening will feature a Central American dinner, a merchandise sale of items from Guatemala, Flamenco dancing and good company! The cost of the meal will be $30.00, with the proceeds going directly to God's Child. Reservations are needed by October 12^th. Call Nancy Wagoner at 863-2323 to RSVP of with questions. The display case in the dining room has some of the memorabilia from our last build.

Have you enjoyed the rustic accommodations, beautiful surroundings and wonderful hospitality of Don and Cindy Foster at Mound Ridge? The Presbyterian Camp & Retreat Center is holding its first-ever fundraiser right here in Kirkwood on Friday, October 24th. Attend the Mystery Dinner Theater evening at First Presbyterian Church (100 E. Adams), which starts at 6:30 p.m. with silent auction and appetizers. The dinner theater begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $30.00 per person. Call 772-2395, ext. 100 to RSVP. Checks can be made payable to The Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy (2236 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110).

There is still an opportunity to help with the Advent Bags. We still need people who can deliver the bags. The delivery period is two weeks between November 16 and the start of Advent, November 30. Please sign the sheet in the Narthex if you would like to help. Any questions, please call Sandy Norkaitis 863-7699.

Would you like to help fill out the Trinity table? Please talk to George Philips. The dinner will be held on Thursday Oct 23, 2008, from 7:00 pm-9:30 pm at theCrown Plaza Hotel, Clayton. The Keynote Speaker will be The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and formerly Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary. His Topic: Our Interfaith World: Think Globally, Act Locally.

- Nancy Wagoner

On Sunday October 5 we at Trinity will celebrate Communion along with Christians around the world. This event always takes place the first Sunday in October, a time of harvest and a time of congregating as Christians, celebrating our oneness in God's love through Christ. This year we have invited members of the congregation who we know to have ties with other countries or cultures to help us in our celebration by sharing a brief message about their experiences abroad. We will also taste different breads through intinction and hear the same words spoken by priests, pastors, and ministers throughout the world on this special day. We encourage you to join us for this Communion celebration while we lift up the vast diversity that we embrace in our church home.

- Rev. Julie March, Minister of Equipping

October 26, 2008
Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty

Many of you will remember the excitement we experienced when we joined hundreds of other caring people in the St. Louis Metro CROP Hunger Walk last year. This event was an unprecedented success, raising thousands of dollars to the feed the poor here in St. Louis, and all over the world. CROP hunger events have addressed the problems of hunger and poverty, both locally and globally, for over 60 years, and now this need is even greater than ever.

The St. Louis ecumenical community is setting its sights even higher this year, hoping to raise $150,000. 25% of these funds will go to Operation Food Search here in St. Louis, to support metro-wide hunger relief efforts, and the remaining 75% will be used by Church World Service and other international agencies for disaster relief and self-help development projects throughout the world.

Plan now to join the Trinity Trotters in Forest Park on Sunday, October 26, to walk and/or donate to the St. Louis Metro CROP Hunger Walk, so that we can join with others and make a difference in the world!

- Julie March

You are invited to experience Wild With Words, a new small group meeting at Trinity. In our time together we are prompted in interaction with readings, Biblical texts, pictures, words or objects to look deeply into who we are as we affirm the sacred in all of our lives. Wild With Words will meet next on Sunday October 5, and Sunday October 19, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Trinity chapel. Join us as we learn the quiet gifts of words that we each carry within. Call me (725-3840) for more information.

- Pat Gibbons

I want to build a home! I want to give a mom and her kids a good place to live, study, make meals, sleep - better than the cramped apartment they have now. With Habitat for Humanity, we can do that and, step by step, improve housing for all in St. Louis. Trinity has three Habitat for Humanity work days in October. We will work October 4, 11, and 25. On October 4 and 11 the work may be exterior and interior painting, installing siding, possibly starting on installing flooring. On October 25 we will lay sod and plant bushes and trees. We need 10 to 15 people on the 4th and 11th, and will ask Habitat to add to our numbers to make 25 on the 25th. Please call or email Pat Gibbons, 727-1471 home, 935-6271work, pcg@wuphys.wustl.edu, to claim your day(s) to work.

- Nancy Wagoner

A benefit dinner for fundraising for the God's Child Project will be held at Trinity on Sunday evening October 26^th at 5:00 pm. A Central American style dinner will be served and stories about our work project in Antigua will be featured. There will also be an opportunity to purchase a puzzle piece...and when the puzzle is completed, you will be able to see one of the families for whom we have built a house. So many of you have been very generous with your gifts of clothing, school supplies and money for us to take down to Guatemala, and this is an opportunity to help us again with the project that we will undertake in February/March. We welcome your attendance at this dinner. It should be a fun and worthwhile evening! Reservations will be taken in October.

- Stacey and Chris Carman

The Winger Food Pantry was a very busy place over the summer months. In June the pantry was the lucky recipient of boxes of Pepperidge Farm cookies and crackers donated by Sue Smorodin, a member of the OASIS band that practices at Trinity. We also received bread baked by the St. Louis Bread Company from Grace and Peace Fellowship Church in the Central West End. Grace and Peace hosts a food pantry weekly during the school year months but only once a month during the summer months. Fortunately for our clients, Grace and Peace chose to continue receiving the bread weekly during the summer and delivered it to us for our use. Our clients really appreciated this extra treat!

In addition to the food donations, the pantry also received labor donations. Pamela Bruns and her children, who take musical instrument lessons at Trinity, volunteered their time as substitute baggers this summer. The use of the church facilities by outside groups has really paid off big for the pantry this summer.

As we all know, the economic downturn over the last couple months has really affected many people from all walks of life, but those who visit our pantry are some of the most affected. During July we had 70 individuals visit our pantry which helped feed 147 family members. In August those numbers increased to 95 individuals who visited the pantry, helping feed 215 family members. Thank you to the Trinity community for your support of this wonderful mission.

A special thank you to our shoppers - Jane Gibbons (January through March) and Vickie Jeter (July through September) - and our baggers, Joanne Roman, Emily Kelton, Kim Behren, Polly Brown, Elaine Pontious, Anna Gardner-Andrews, Tina Newberry and family and Norma Vavra and Wally Klein. If you would like to get involved with the pantry, consider becoming a bagger for November. It only takes approximately an hour to an hour and a half of your time once a week. Please contact Stacey at carmans@swbell.net if you are interested.

Join the Adult Education spiritual growth opportunity, "Saving Jesus," at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel on Sunday mornings. This 12-session DVD-based exploration of Jesus through the ages features leading religious voices of our times. Utilizing the powerful DVD presentations, we will explore through discussion of open-ended questions what we traditionally believe about Jesus and then move on to being challenged or affirmed by some new ideas about Jesus. There will be good conversations, good coffee and snacks and enjoyable fellowship! You are most welcome to bring a friend, too! If you cannot attend all 12 programs, please come when you can. Each session is self-contained.

October topics include: October 5: What Can we Know About Jesus (and How)?; October12: The World Into Which Jesus was Born; October 19: Jesus' Birth: Incarnation; October 26: Teachings of Jesus: Wisdom Tradition.

- Rev. Dr. Daniel Anderson-Little, Pastor

Every two years, the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met. This year the Assembly met in San Jose, California, and voted on many issues that have been important to the Trinity congregation. The Assembly:

• Passed the John Knox overture (from Wisconsin) to restore the full reach of the 2006 Authoritative Interpretation (A.I.) of G-6.0108, permitting presbyteries to consider the full scope of candidates' faith, life, and any declared "departure." This means that those who are being examined for ordination can declare a scruple on any matter, not just belief. Declaring a scruple does not mean that the person must be ordained regardless; it means that the Presbytery must decide if the scruple pertains to an essential of the faith.
• Issued an Authoritative Interpretation that "interpretive statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members" from 1978 and 1979 "and all subsequent affirmations thereof, have no further force or effect." This means that previous General Assembly statements saying that gay or lesbian persons cannot be ordained are no longer in effect.
• Passed an overture from Boston that replaces the exclusive language of G-6.0106b ("fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness") with a requirement for officers to "live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church." This constitutional change will need to be passed in 87 presbyteries to take effect. Our Presbytery will vote on this early next year.
• Approved an overture from Denver strongly reaffirming our church's longstanding support for full civil and legal rights for same-gender couples and their families, and authorizing a study of the theological meaning of marriage.
• Began the four-year process for approving a more faithful translation of the Heidelberg Catechism, correcting several mistranslations including an egregious 1962 insertion of the term "homosexual perversion" in a list of sins in Q. 87.

The Assembly decided many other decisions that have nothing to do with human sexuality and ordination, but as in previous years, these issues dominated the agenda. It is exciting to me that the denomination nationally is more and more mirroring the commitment to justice that Trinity has lived out for decades. In the words of the Covenant Network, we are on our way toward building a church as generous and just as God's grace.

In other news, the Assembly elected the youngest-ever Moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow. Bruce is the pastor of a new post-modern congregation in San Francisco. You can follow him on the Internet either by subscribing to his blog (just google Bruce Reyes-Chow) or by becoming his friend on Facebook.

Sometimes the work of the national church can feel so far removed from the daily life of our congregation. This year, the Assembly affirmed many of the commitments and values that shape our daily life at Trinity. And to that I say, "Hallelujah!"

- Dan Anderson-Little

The Session of Trinity Presbyterian Church typically meets on the first Wednesday of the month, except in August when many people are away. But from August 20 through October 1, the Session will have met four times - a pace of every other week. Why all the meetings and hard work? The Session is working on a budget for 2009. In most years, the Session has a budget ready to go at the beginning of September. But this year, the Session decided it wanted to again address the deficit. Through some careful work in the past, the deficit had shrunk in recent years; but then it went up again in 2008. At these meetings, the Session has looked at the deficit, the reasons why it exists and the ways to move back to a balanced budget; we have asked a lot of questions and have considered a lot of options. This has been a careful and time-consuming process.

The Session's hard work will be complete after the October 1 meeting. In the days following that meeting, the Session will launch the Stewardship Campaign for 2009. We anticipate that it will conclude with a Commitment Sunday on November 9. Trinity is blessed with tremendous resources: faithful members, officers and staff; a great location; and financial resources given by our forbearers. We are confident that through God's leading this combination of resources will help maintain our strengths and build toward a vibrant future.

Watch in early October for more about the Stewardship Campaign.

- Bill Wade, Interim Minister of Music - Organist

October will bring several events in the Saint Louis area that celebrate the International Year of the Organ. On October 19^th we will participate in the world-wide organ spectacular by including Bernard Sanders' commissioned composition "Ornament of Grace" for violin and organ in worship that morning. It, like God's grace, is accessible and shimmering in its quiet simplicity. That afternoon at 3:00 p.m., I will have the pleasure of presenting this selection on an American Guild of Organists program at Grace United Methodist Church (6199 Waterman, Blvd., St. Louis 63112). All are welcome to attend that afternoon program featuring several outstanding Saint Louis organists. Other area churches will also be scheduling events celebrating the International Year of the Organ. On October 26^th we will include a new song for bagpipe and organ, "The Sands of Kuwait," as we celebrate Reformation Sunday. Jim Miller from the John Ford Pipe Band will be our guest piper.

One of the requirements of a church organist is the ability to lead congregational hymn singing. As part of that responsibility, the organist seeks to convey musically what the text of the hymn is saying. This can be done by varying the tempo, registration, texture, harmonization, style and improvisation of the hymn tune. The choir may sing variations of the hymn tune, or add a descant along with the harmony. The dialogue between the hymn text, hymn tune, accompaniment, and singers is a once in a lifetime event. Every time we participate in this shared opportunity, something unique and historical is created. As we celebrate our faith and join voices together in the singing of hymns, listen carefully and determine if you can become more aware of the interplay of the words and music as we strive to make music and worship a full body experience!

Grace and Peace, Bill (drwewade@gmail.com)

- Rick Jeter

We have Mother Nature to thank for the expression "low hanging fruit." A fruit-bearing tree often contains some branches low enough for animals and humans to reach without much effort. The fruit contained on these lower branches may be not be as ripe or attractive as the fruit on higher limbs, but it is usually more abundant and easier to harvest. From this, we get the popular expression "low hanging fruit," which generally means selecting the easiest targets with the least amount of effort.

This year the Facilities Commission engaged Energy Solutions to audit our building and identify areas where we could save energy and the costs to implement the recommendation. Energy Solutions examined how our building is used, when it is used, and how many people are using the building during peak energy consumption periods.

Energy Solutions provided solutions and cost estimates to provide heating, cooling using system blending, and managing airflow effectively. Some of the solutions required investments exceeding $50,000, some from $1,000 to $5,000.

So what does this have to do with low hanging fruit? Not ripe or attractive, easy to harvest. The low hanging fruit for Trinity is lighting. If we replace 232 incandescent bulbs in the building with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs, our electricity bill is estimated to be reduced by $1900 per year.

Look for a special activity to fund the Low Hanging Fruit harvest.

- Liz Nelson

In the coming months, you will be hearing a lot more about the elevator project and you won't be able to miss the physical changes once construction starts.

For the past year and a half, I have been working with different contractors and architects to explore options for finally replacing our aging elevator, which is no longer up to code and has never been ADA-compliant. We have no option but to replace it because it was built prior to 1975 and runs with a single-bottom hydraulic cylinder, which is now in violation of codes for safety reasons.

In my mind and that of the Session's, this is not merely an equipment need, this is a justice and accessibility issue. We are being given a tremendous opportunity to fully embody our welcoming statement and become a place that is accessible and welcoming to those of differing ages and abilities. Because this is not just about an elevator, the campaign will most likely also incorporate a few smaller welcoming and accessibility projects into the overall plan: adding an ADA-accessible automatic door at the lower Kingsland entrance, making the bathrooms off of the dining room ADA-accessible, and placing ADA-compliant signage around the interior of the building. All of these projects will help us live out our statement that we want to make people welcome and easy for them to use our space.

We will all need to be patient and flexible as we work around the construction inconvenience. We do not yet know the timeline, but we have hired an architect (our very own Mark O'Bryan) to prepare complete drawings of the project to help us solicit realistic bids. Another way you can help is by joining the elevator capital campaign team that is being formed to help raise funds to assist in the cost. We will work with consultants from the Presbytery's Church Financial Campaign Service to develop an effective capital campaign and will explore many funding options.

Not everyone needs to be skilled at asking for donations - we need creativity, passion, planning skills, vision, and - yes - fundraising skills. If you know of others who should be invited to join, please let me know. Please give this prayerful consideration. Are you being called to help Trinity not only be a safe building, but one that dismantles barriers to those who need our welcome? I am excited to create a physical space that mirrors our values and mission. Please join me!

- John Merker

In the coming weeks, Trinity News will be carrying a series of articles entitled "Did you know?" - stories that highlight Trinity's diverse ministry as an equipping church through its members' special gifts and talents. Their stories are not only indicative of work and contributions outside the church in helping others but also reflect the impact that these experiences have had on their own lives.

Diana Gray is the subject of one such story. Earlier this year, Diana had the opportunity, as an OB/GYN physician and faculty member at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), to travel to Bhutan, a developing county in the Himalayas located between India and Tibet. Bhutan is relatively small, about half the size of Indiana, with a population of 750,000 people. And while remote and underdeveloped, the Bhutanese pro-Western government wants very much to advance technologically and to move into the 21^st century, particularly in the areas of medical diagnosis and therapy.

Although Diana was not familiar with Bhutan and many of the challenges that it faces in providing up-to-date medical care to its citizens - its infant mortality rate is nearly nine times that of the U.S, for example - she seized the opportunity when it was presented through one of her colleagues. One of her professional sub-specialties, prenatal and pelvic ultrasonic diagnostic imaging, was something that squared well with the government's master health plan. Working at the national referral hospital in Thimphu, the capital, Diana shared her knowledge and expertise with the Bhutanese medical staff and was even able to further train them in the operation of new state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging equipment. One of the units, from General Electric, had been donated through the efforts of the WUSM colleague who recruited her for this medical mission.

While there's no doubt that Diana was a great ambassador who made a significant contribution during her two-week stay there, she also took away something from the experience that in many ways was a life changing experience that strengthened her own faith. "I not only found the work very rewarding", she says, "but found all the people that I came in contact with, perhaps because of their peace loving Buddhist heritage, to be very warm, gracious and generous toward me. In many ways, it affirmed for me that much good can be accomplished when people from completely different backgrounds work together toward the same goals."

Diana is hoping to return in the fall of 2009 to continue her work and to observe the progress that has been made since she left. In fact, her husband, Mark, an avid trekker, is talking about joining her on that trip to fulfill one of his dreams - that of hiking the Himalayas.

Diana's story, like others that will be told in the coming weeks and months, speaks much about Trinity's equipping ministry and the possibilities that can be made real when our members share their gifts and talents with others in need for the greater glory of God.

- Liz Nelson

In order to find a balance between being a welcoming building and a safe one, we are making small changes in our security plans. We've had an increase in people "wandering" into Trinity over the past months, and, when we pair that with the fact that there have been some incidents at other churches in the general area over the past number of years, we have decided to keep our doors locked more frequently during the daytime hours. Although this may be frustrating to you, we are asking that people limit their entrance to the lower Kingsland door (which will be locked except for short periods of time of heavy traffic) and be conscious of not propping doors open for other individuals. We have shared these requests with all the community groups that use the building as well. The door is more likely to be unlocked after 4 p.m., when our door monitor is present (Digna Hodgson, Birty's wife). And a big thank you to police officer and member Brad Roy for his consultation with the staff on safety and security tips for daytime and evening schedules.

- Liz Nelson, Church Administrator

Did you know that we open our doors almost every day of the week to 11 different organizations? Part of Trinity's mission is to provide a welcoming space in which individuals can explore musical, social, intellectual and psychological programs that help them live into the lives God created for them. Therefore, we provide space for:

• Community Music School of Webster University (63 hours of lessons a week) www.webster.edu/cms/
• OASIS (three music ensembles for older adults) www.oasisnet.org/stlouis/index.htm
• Citywide Gospel Ministries (gospel choir)
• La Leche League (breastfeeding mom's support group) www.lalecheleaguestlouis.org/
• University City Great Books
• St. Louis Squares (gay square dancing)
• University City Summer Band www.ucsummerband.org/
• ArtMuse (interactive art history classes for kids) http://artmuseforkids.org/default.aspx
• BJC Hospice (young widow/widowers support group) www.bjchospice.org/
• Genesis House bible study
• Care & Counseling (counseling) www.careandcounseling.org/

These groups complement the many programs Trinity has developed for our members and for the larger community. I encourage you to check into any group that interests you, as they welcome your participation. Also, please let me know if you have any ideas for ways to encourage these group participants to explore what Trinity has to offer or if you want to assist in that endeavor.

- Ann Fischer

Last spring long-time Trinity members Do Kirk and Mark and Kim Merritt moved to Whidbey Island in Washington State. In September six friends who for years had shared Dance St. Louis tickets with Do journeyed west to check out the new digs. What did we find? The island is beautiful! Do, Kim, Mark, Jan Kirk and Kitty Kirk (Do's daughters), three dogs and a cat have all settled into a beautiful house in the woods that perfectly fits their family's needs. Do is as funny and energizing as always. Kim is feeling much healthier and is spending serious time painting. Mark and Kim are photographing all over the island to create gift cards. Jan, Kitty, and Mark have jobs they like. The beach home owned by Pam and Lance LaLoupe (Do's oldest daughter) provided us with luxurious quarters The weekend was filled with lots of laughter, ice cream, talk, reminiscing, hoping, silliness, and love. The Kirk/Merritt clan sends lots of love back to Trinity. Do particularly wants to say hi to her pew buddies. For more details about the visit, talk to Sandy Norkaitis, Kitty Underwood, Sally Dunn, Joanne Roman, Margy Brown, or me.

Have you enjoyed the rustic accommodations, beautiful surroundings and wonderful hospitality of Don and Cindy Foster at Mound Ridge? The Presbyterian Camp & Retreat Center is holding its first-ever fundraiser right here in Kirkwood on Friday, October 24^th. Attend the Mystery Dinner Theater evening at First Presbyterian Church (100 E. Adams), which starts at 6:30 p.m. with silent auction and appetizers. The dinner theater begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $30.00 per person. Call 772-2395, ext. 100 to RSVP. Checks can be made payable to The Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy (2236 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110).

Each year we join other churches in The Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.) to provide financial means to bring peace to God's children in God's world. The Peacemaking Offering will be taken on Sunday, October 5. An envelope is included in your newsletter. If you receive the newsletter via email, envelopes are available at church or send a check from home with "peacemaking" in the memo line.

- Pat Gibbons

In the Trinity budget we allocate about 10% of the money we receive in pledge envelopes and loose collections to support local mission efforts. Some, like our Winger Food Pantry, are core activities funded outside of the Church and Community Commission. The Commission has a budget of $18,000 to allocate to agencies like Doorways, Independence Center, HiTech Charities, and others. The agencies recommended to Session and approved this year are Beyond Housing, Care and Counseling, Diversity Awareness Partnership, Doorways, HiTech Charities, Independence Center, Interfaith Partnership, International Institute, Presbyterian Covenant Network, and St. Vincent Home.

We expect to recommend further funds for HiTech Charities, and may increase the amounts given to some of the other agencies. We are considering other agencies we learn of or have supported in the past for the rest of the funding.