Our own Dean Henry Biggs (AKA "Headmess") is doing his last concert on Friday, 2/27 at 8:00pm, with proceeds going to LiveFeed, a musical organization that donates food to pantries (including ours). Tickets are $26/discount for students and can be bought at Metrotix.
The concert will be held at the 560 Music Center of Wash U (across the street at the corner of Trinity & Delmar).
Save your Stuff! Cheryl Evans will be helping organize a rummage sale later this spring, with proceeds going towards covering soloist/section leader costs so we can keep them past May. Start saving hangers and setting aside items to donate as you do your own spring cleaning or downsizing. Contact Cheryl or Liz if you want to help-we'll need many hands to make this work! There will also be a sing-up sheet in the Narthex.
...will be held in the Chapel at 7pm on February 25th. This meditative service will include communion and will also develop a theme that will return all the way through Easter.
Hey, remember to join in with others for three hours of clean up, fix up and organization of our beautiful space! We'll start by working on some closets, floors, lights and repairs, among other things. Stay as long as you are able.
We'll have jobs for all different levels of skill and intensity. This means all ages, skill levels, and learning levels. (You might just learn to do something you have always wanted some coaching on!!!!!!) Part of the fun is being together (did I say group?) and seeing the fruits of our labor.
The list of activities that need to be done (not to worry if they don't all get done-- there will be another day next month) are:
This workday concept works if we get broad participation so no one feels overwhelmed.
As always (well, this is the first in while, but humor us -- we are enthusiastic) there will some kind of food, too.
Come and join us as a part of your weekend plans!!
(Note from Liz: I would be happy if you dropped me an email or call (725-3840) if you're planning on coming....)
Here is information on ways in which we plan to work, share fellowship, and raise money together:
The money Trinity raised to support the CROP Walk. Thank you!
Please contact Stacey Carman.
Needed: a few sturdy "one-way suitcases" (to stay in Guatemala), school supplies, tooth brushes, toothpaste, medicines, vitamins and first aid items, cash donations for lumber, mattresses, sheets, blankets and pillows, food staples and chairs. Collecting in the dining room until February 22nd; tax letters for your contribution are available. Talk to the Wagoners.
I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce and welcome Juli and Leah Shields to Trinity. I first met Juli downstairs in the thicket when my sons Evan and Daniel greeted her daughter enthusiastically as one of their grade-mates from Glenridge Elementary. I started seeing Juli more frequently at Glenridge events and could tell that she and Leah would be a wonderful addition to the Trinity community. We discovered multiple connections past our children's school, including Juli and Rick being true "Hoosiers" and a passionate agreement in the recent political events of our nation.
Juli grew up in Martinsville, Indiana and attended the local First United Methodist Church until high school, when she joined First Presbyterian Church in Martinsville. She attended this church through college and thereafter off and on. In the mid-1990s, Juli eventually joined Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. She soon became an elder and sang in the choir. Juli adopted Leah from Hunan, China in August 2002 when Leah was 10 months old. Leah was baptized at Northminster in October 2002. In 2002, Juli and Leah moved from Indianapolis to Greenwood, an Indianapolis suburb. They attended Prince of Peace United Church of Christ until they moved to St. Louis.
Juli and Leah moved to St. Louis from Indianapolis in June 2006 for Juli to take a new job as Associate General Counsel of Ascension Health, where Juli stills works. Leah is in first grade at Glenridge Elementary School in Clayton. Juli and Leah visited a few churches in the area after moving to St. Louis; they love the warmth and inclusiveness of Trinity and have decided it will make a wonderful church home for them. Juli loves to watch sports, quilts and reads (and does a number of kids' activities, of course). Leah takes jazz and ballet lessons and loves play dates. They told me that they are excited and honored to be members of Trinity!
On Friday, February 13th, Trinity will host recitals as part of the Festival of African and African-American Music.
Organist Dr. Calvert Johnson will perform at 7:30 PM, featuring the organ music of Nigerian organist and composer Fela Sewande. Ms. Pine will play a piece with Dr. Johnson during his recital as well.
At 8:30 PM, violinist Rachel Barton Pine will play the music of composers from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries from Cuba, England, the U.S., and Africa.
Tickets at the door are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
This is a follow-up to Worship on Sunday, February 1, 2009. If you missed this Sunday, please see the end of this article for a summary!
1. Write letters of support to Kristin now and when she is in prison (we will keep you updated on a new address when she goes). She is asking you to write out your prayer for her in your letter!
Kristin Holm
LSTC
1100 E. 55th St.
Chicago, IL 60615
2. Donate money:
a. to help pay for Kristin's court fees, her fine, travel, and sundries in prison OR
b. to SOAW (School of the Americas Watch listed below).
If you want to make a tax-deductible donation to Kristin, you can make a check out to the church. Put Kristin Holm in the memo line and the pastor can put it through the Pastor's Discretionary account. Any money Kristin receives over and above what she needs, she will donate to SOAW.
3. Go to www.soaw.org (School of the Americas Watch); Click on Take Action or Donate
4. Contact your Representative in Congress concerning HR 1707 "Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2007" which will be reintroduced this year in March of 2009. This legislation would suspend operations at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly named the School of the Americas (SOA) and calls for an independent report on the authorization and use of torture manuals that advocated tactics that violated U.S. and international law. The legislation would also carry out an assessment of U.S. foreign military training in Latin America. Missouri. Congress people who supported this bill in 2007:
Encourage your Representative to be co-sponsors on this the Bill again if they are listed above. Encourage YOUR Representative to Co-Sponsor this Bill!
If you missed Sunday, February 1, 2009, here's the background:
On Feb. 1st in worship at St. Mark's Lutheran (Linda Anderson-Little's congregation), Kristin Holm (Linda's god-child and a seminary student at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) shared her statement that she gave in federal court after being arrested for an act of civil disobedience.
Kristin's statement was also the basis for the sermon at Trinity that day.
Kristin has been sentenced to 60 days in a federal prison and a $250 fine. She trespassed at the School of the America's (SOA) (now renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation [WHINSEC]) in Ft. Benning, GA which has trained 60,000 Latin American soldiers and policemen who have become some of the most violent dictators and military leaders in their home countries. Protests at the base is nothing new, for many years activists have opposed existence of this school because so many of it's graduates have been linked to human rights abuses including the torture, rape, assassination, and massacre of their own people especially union organizers, religious workers, student leaders and others who work for the rights of the poor.
Graduates have included:
February 1, 2009 sermon by Dr. Daniel R. Anderson-Little, with Marin Klostermeier reading the words of Kristin Holm.
The sermon is a dialogue between the scripture lesson and a statement read at Federal Court by Kristin Holm. Kristin is a 21 year old Lutheran seminary student who was recently arrested while protesting at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly the School of the Americas) at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The School of the Americas trained some of the worst military dictators in Latin American history, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Kristin was convicted and sentenced to 60 days in federal prison and a $250 fine. Kristin is the goddaughter of Linda Anderson-Little. Linda and the rest of the Anderson-Little's couldn't be prouder of Kristin for her faith, her courage and her witness.
[more]The next adult spiritual growth class will be a offered February 1st & 8th at 9:30 in the Chapel and will be led by Rick Hasler. 2/1: Bumper Sticker Beliefs: Have you pulled up to a stop at a stoplight and found yourself staring/laughing/bristling at the message on the bumper sticker on the car ahead of you? Have you ever had so strong a desire to share your beliefs that you vandalized (or decorated) your own car to spread the word? This workshop will take a look at how we drive our beliefs home...and to the store...and to work... Participants will also be making their own personalized bumper sticker! 2/8: The God Gallery: What does faith look like, sound like and read like? Enter the "God Gallery," an ad-hoc collection of contemporary works of art, music and quotations to contemplate. You will be invited to respond to this multimedia event in writing, meditation or small group conversation.
Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
2/1/2009 - 2/8/2009: 2 Sundays - Modern expressions of faith: Led by Rick Hasler, Trinity Presbyterian Church.
First Sunday - Bumper Sticker Beliefs: Have you pulled up to a stop at a stoplight and found yourself staring/laughing/bristling at the message on the bumper sticker on the car ahead of you? Have you ever had so strong a desire to share your beliefs that you vandalized (or decorated) your own car to spread the word? This workshop will take a look at how we drive our beliefs home...and to the store...and to work...Participants will also be making their own personalized bumper stickers!
Second Sunday - The God Gallery: What does faith look like, sound like and read like? Enter the "God Gallery," an ad-hoc collection of contemporary works of art, music and quotations to contemplate. You will be invited to respond to this multimedia event in writing, meditation or small group conversation.
2/15/2009 through 3/8/2009: 4 Sundays - Ten Commandments: Led by John Bracke, Professor of Bibilical Studies, Eden Theological Seminary.
The Ten Commandments occupy an important place not only for people of faith but in Western culture. This class will examine the Ten Commandments by giving attention to both their context in ancient Israel and the ways they might continue to address church and society.
3/15/2009 through 4/5/2009: 4 Sundays - Life transitions: Led by Dale Kuhn, Executive Director, Care & Counseling.
This class looks at life changes that are forced, that are developmental and that are chosen. The class will examine issues of grief, growth, anxiety, energy and the role of faith in the process of transition.
4/12/2009: Easter Sunday -- No class
4/19/2009 through 5/10/2009: 4 Sundays - Being Christian in a pluralistic world: Led by Damayanthi Niles, Professor of Theology, Eden Theological Seminary.
How do we begin taking plurality seriously in our theological discussion? What might such an approach look like? And where might it lead us? This class will study why it is essential to take pluralism seriously in order to understand the heart of the Christian faith. We will explore the ways we can take plurality seriously in our theological discussion by revisiting several Christian key concepts through the lens of pluralism and discover how it can help enrich our faith.
5/17/2009: Summer break - No class
On my first day back at work, Trinity's Minister of Music, Organist Bill Wade, asked me, "Was there anything on your seven-week leave that did not do or accomplish that you wish you had?" As soon as Bill asked the question, I realized that it was a profound one. Rather than asking how my time away was, Bill probed deeper with a question that got at intent and result. Without hesitation I answered Bill: "No, there was nothing that I didn't do that I wished I had. The time away was profound and healing."
So what did I do during those seven weeks that was so significant? It was a combination of things. First, I slept...a lot. On my first day of leave I spent the day at the Vision of Peace Hermitages in Pevely, small rooms built into the bluff overlooking the Mississippi. I spent part of the day praying, taking a walk by the river and reading scripture; but mostly I slept - five hours! I spent time with my Dad. As you are aware, my Dad is being treated for an aggressive kind of brain cancer. Right now he is in good, stable condition. I was able to get to Madison three times - once for Thanksgiving, once for his birthday, and right after Christmas. Each time was an important time to connect with my Dad and other family members. As a way to assist him while he has lost some ability to concentrate and track details, I also, with his complete agreement, took over the management of his finances. I spent more time with the family, going to school performances, eating meals, and celebrating the holidays. I read for enjoyment getting the whole way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I spent seven days at local retreat centers, discovering again the depth and sustaining power of my faith and God's love for me. In every way, it was a time of rest and restoration.
And now as I return to my pastoral duties, I find that I have more energy, more ability to concentrate, and more creativity. I am excited about what is happening at Trinity and look forward to working with the Session, the Deacons, the staff, and all Trinity members on the challenges that are before us. My time away has helped me learn again that God provides us with everything that we need and that with God all things are possible. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the congregation for your willingness to grant me this time, to the elders who continued to provide strong leadership, to the staff who picked up extra work, and to Rev. Nancy Wagner for her pastoral leadership in my time away.
One more thing: one of my goals during my leave was not just to rest and restore for a season, but to develop new patterns and habits that will help me be a healthier person. I am glad to report that I have made a good start. I have started to exercise each morning - I get on our elliptical trainer and watch episodes of The Office. I am working on de-cluttering my life: de-cluttering my office, de-cluttering my bedroom, de-cluttering my garage, and de-cluttering my mind (I am spending less time reading news and blogs on the Internet and more time reading books). I have a new prayer routine. So far each of these new behaviors is helping me to feel better and sleep better. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
On March 1st, 2008, I jumped in a lake. Okay, so I actually ran into the lake...but that's not the point here. The point is that as crazy as it seemed the first time, I've decided to do it again. I'm participating in the 2009 Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics.
When I first decided to take the plunge, I was told that I didn't seem like the type. And maybe I'm not, but I was able to raise $2,150 for a cause that is incredibly important in the lives of some very special people. As some of you know, I'm a music therapist at Illinois Center for Autism. Every day, I get to work with some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. They also live some of the most difficult lives you could imagine. It is my privilege to help them learn and grow.
I have seen the joy that they get from participating in events like Special Olympics. That's why I have once again chosen to take the plunge. On March 7, 2009, I will again plunge into the freezing waters of Carlyle Lake. I can't think of anyone else I would do this for!!!
So go ahead. Tell me to go jump in a lake. But if possible, also sponsor my plunge at www.firstgiving.com/amandameinen or come find me...where the choir goes, so go I!!!
Lent is a time mirroring Jesus' forty days praying and fasting in the wilderness. It is a time during the church year that we are invited into personal prayer, reflection, and meditation, as Jesus did. During our rushing, activity-filled days, it is often difficult to find time to stop and listen to the silence, to discern God's still, small voice, so we at Trinity are creating a space and time of quiet listening during Lent. On Thursday evenings during Lent, we will open a spirituality center for all ages at Trinity from 6:30-8 p.m. This is your chance for A Place Apart - a place to come to lift up or lay down your burdens, to find peace, or to simply rest in the presence of God. A spirituality center is a place set aside for quiet prayer and reflection. In our spirituality center, we will have several different "stations" available that will have a variety of prayer techniques that encompass multiple modalities. One station will be a walking labyrinth for a more physical coming to God. One or two stations may have art activities, some will have Bibles with specific ideas of how to pray using Scripture, and others will be places to write out your prayers to God. You will be able to stay at one station as long as you like or move from station to station. You may stay for 15 minutes or the entire hour and a half.
For those of you who are parents, I encourage you to bring your children to experience this time of quiet prayer. Children often crave quiet in their lives, and they often do not find it among all of the activities they have scheduled. To help children understand how the spirituality center can be a place for them, Dawn and I will be leading a short workshop 15 minutes before we open the center for everyone. At 6:15 p.m. each Thursday, families are welcome to learn how the centers work and how they can use the time for prayer in ways that are meaningful for both kids and parents. If you have any questions about our Place Apart, please contact Dawn Fleischman ( 24.dawn@gmail.com) or me (s00.sshupe@wittenberg.edu).
Many of you may think that we hired Dawn Fleischman, our new Minister of Spiritual Growth, to supervise our Sunday school and oversee our youth program. These are certainly areas in which she is involved, but we hired her because she fit our job description of something new - she is visionary, passionate about her own spirituality and about developing the spiritual lives of others, and she understands spiritual growth as a lifelong journey. When the Spiritual Growth Commission changed our name from the Christian Education Commission, we did so intentionally, with a desire to broaden Trinity's support of all aspects of spiritual growth, not only those that occur on Sunday morning. For many people, worship and the "Christian Education" hour on Sunday morning are only one aspect of their spiritual lives - they may be involved in small groups, prayer services, individual prayer and Bible study, or any number of other activities throughout the week. Our hope in hiring Dawn is to become a church where we all see our lives as a journey towards a deeper understanding and relationship with God, and where we can share in this journey together in different ways. Dawn is eager to create opportunities for spiritual growth for all of us. She is a wonderful listener and would like to hear your desires and ideas. You can reach her by calling the church office or by e-mailing her at 24.dawn@gmail.com.
In case you are interested, here is the job description that attracted Dawn to Trinity: Spiritual growth is a lifelong journey. Each stage of the learning process brings new questions, new needs and new opportunities to grow. Our relationship with God is the most important part of that journey. Trinity Presbyterian Church is seeking an individual with the vision and passion to develop a Spiritual Growth ministry that is engaging and intergenerational, one that reaches beyond the bounds of a traditional church school and worship only model. Our congregation is multicultural, open to new ideas, committed to social justice, and welcoming to all. If you are an energetic, vibrant and thoughtful leader who defines spiritual growth as an on-going journey, and you
I want to share with you the message I offered at the Service of Witness to the Resurrection for Curtis March on January 16, 2009, in Springfield, Missouri.
The Gospel of John ends with a passage that never fails to startle me. First let me set the stage: Jesus has been crucified and has risen from the dead. And then Peter, in good guy fashion, decides to go fishing. The resurrected Jesus calls to them from the shore and tells them that the good fishing is on the other side of the boat. Jesus then invites them to join him for breakfast on the beach. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him; and three times, Peter responds in the affirmative. Jesus responds: "Feed my sheep." And now the startling part: Jesus says, "Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." I am not sure I want my gospel or my life ending like this!
I only knew Curt in his last couple of years - and when I met him he was doing a most unusual and remarkable thing. At a time in life when many men (most men?) just want to settle down in their own routine during retirement, Curt uprooted himself from his beloved Springfield and followed Julie to St. Louis where she was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament. I know that this move wasn't always easy for Curt. For all of their marriage up until then, he was the minister or the retired minister - it was his calling, his career, and his retirement that determined where they lived and, to a large degree, how they lived. But Julie had been called to serve in a new way and Curt, rather than resist or refuse, went to St. Louis.
Very truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. Now in this scenario, it is tempting to think that it was Julie who tied the belt around Curt and that she was the one who took him where he did not wish to go. And if that is the case for any of us, then this passage is a threat that our lives will be out of control as we age. But these words were spoken to Peter, and were spoken to Curt, and are spoken to us, not as threat, but as promise. For while we like to think that we are the masters of our own destiny, while we like to imagine that we are in control of our life, our greatest joy and our greatest fulfillment comes in yielding to our Lord wherever he leads. It wasn't Julie that hauled Curt to St. Louis, but it was the same Savior who led him to Springfield many years before. Just ask anyone at Trinity and you will know that not only was Julie called to ministry there, but Curt was called as well. Curt blessed the Trinity congregation with the same gifts that he blessed the congregation of First and Calvary - with his deep and abiding faith, his infectious smile, and his warm and overflowing love. At a time in life when many feel that their best days are behind them, when God no longer has a purpose, Curt stretched out his hands and allowed his Lord to lead him and Julie to a new place of ministry and service. He didn't know where he would end up, but he trusted the One who led him. And now, Jesus has fastened a belt around Curt again, and has led him to a place where we all want to go - to eternal life with God.
What do elevator music and church music have in common? There's been a lot of discussion about the elevator at Trinity and how it is inadequate and outdated for the 21st century. This debate led me to ponder whether or not we would be piping music into a new elevator. If there is to be music, someone will have to decide whether it will be church music or more traditional "elevator music." I then began to consider the similarities that may exist between the two.
Elevator music is always "there." It isn't requested, does not stimulate, provides a background noise without distracting or challenging us, and is usually unobtrusive and unremarkable. Most of all, we don't have to DO anything to get it. We can be totally passive and it will still exist.
Church music, without active participation, could succumb to the same bland fate. If the church is the people, then it follows that church music is people music. Unlike elevator music, church music cannot exist in a vacuum without active participation of the congregation, the volunteers, and the leaders. Church music is people music and would not exist without people. Our challenge as the people of the church is to DO something to integrate and internalize the musical messages into our own worship experience. Instead of passively enduring what could be dismissed as background noise, ask yourself how the music impacts your overall worship experience. Is it helpful, soothing, distracting, happy, sad, boring, fast, slow, pretty, angry, loud, soft, or uplifting? By asking yourself that question, you will find that you are becoming an active listener and a participant in the musical offering within worship. Through this simple action you will discover that the words of the hymns will come alive and the message of the anthems and texture of the music will challenge you and make you think about the effect each has on you. Music, like faith, doesn't just happen. Our awareness and active participation of the sounds and people around us will make the mystery of music and faith come alive and their presence will not be dismissed as elevator music.
I challenge you to open your ears and mind so that you can discern how music impacts the multidimensional experience of worship.
It's difficult discussing elevator replacements during this economy and during Trinity's budget concerns. For almost two years we have been exploring options for replacement of our elevator that is now in violation of current elevator code. I have been working with the Elevator and Beyond Team, the Facilities Commission, and now the newly-formed Elevator Fundraising Team in looking into machinery, location and funding options. We have hired member and architect Mark O'Bryan to create specific structural drawings so we can re-bid the project and chose the most competitive contractor.
Concerned about this project? Wondering how we can finance this necessary but costly renovation right now? There will be a chance for the congregation to continue to ask questions and learn more about the project shortly, as we look at how not only to meet code safety requirements, but also to create a physical space that embodies our welcoming statement so we can truly welcome people of all abilities.
Starting last month Trinity became a distribution point for Fair Shares, our local Combined Community Supported Agriculture organization. Founded by sisters Sara Hale and Jamie Choler, non-profit Fair Shares started operations last April and several Trinity families have been participating.
On behalf of its shareholders, Fair Shares contracts with local food producers, such as farms, dairies, orchards and bakeries, and distributes a mixed assortment of fresh, local food to its members each week for a set fee. It's like a trip to the farmer's market in one stop, at a predictable price. This system also allows the producers predict their sales for the year more accurately and guarantees them a more reliable income stream that compensates them at a fair rate.
Prior to moving to Trinity, Fair Shares was distributing members' weekly food shares from a garage located down the alley from Trinity, which was less than ideal, particularly in Summer and Winter. Jim Person and Diane O'Brien, who have been participating in Fair Shares since its inception, saw an opportunity for Trinity to forge a bond with another progressive organization concerned with social justice. If you don't see how locally-sourced, responsibly-farmed food is a social justice issue, feel free to talk to me.
Since it started using our space, Fair Shares has been contributing food to the Winger Food Pantry at Trinity. Membership in Fair Shares is currently full, but our family was able to get started this month by splitting a share with another participant. If you are interested, you can sign up for the waiting list, or learn more about Fair Shares, on its website: http://www.fairshares.org.
This will be the third year that a mission trip to Antigua, Guatemala, will be partially sponsored by members and friends of Trinity Presbyterian Church. The God's Child Project is an organization operated out of Bismark, ND, with sites in Guatemala, Africa and El Salvador where homes, clinics and schools for the poor are built. Bob and I were introduced to the program through a friend in the Engineering School at Washington University who heard that we had gone to help with a group from Trinity to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. While I was lamenting about tearing down a home, he told us about building one in the same amount of time. Of course, this is not a house you or I would live in, but to an impoverished family in Guatemala it is a home...a sturdy and sufficient dwelling that replaces their current living conditions which we would call a shack. The bonding that takes place during the build is incredible, and language becomes no problem at all! The new home-owners, including the children, do what they can to help (often the children help with the painting and we make sure that they hammer in a nail or two if they want) so that there is a real sense of ownership when our task is complete. Friendships are formed and hugs are exchanged and lives are changed through our experiences.
We will travel again from March 3rd -12th, and this year five from Trinity will be going - Pat Courtney, Alice and Shanthi Philips, and Bob and myself. Part of our time will be spent in serving dinner at a homeless shelter, working with babies and toddlers at the malnutrition center and distributing clothing at a nearby school. There will be bonding with the other members of our team - seven from Webster Groves Congregational, one from Clayton Methodist and one from Webster Groves Presbyterian. We hope your prayers and support will be with us as we try to do what God has commanded us to do...to serve the least of us in God's name.
So again we will travel, we will work, we will play, we will help and we will celebrate...celebrate the goodness of God. Items that we would like to take with us include school supplies and medical supplies (drug samples, vitamins, bandages). Cash or checks made out to me will be used for Guatemalan purchases of lumber for bunk beds, mattresses, covers, pillows, food and chairs for the houses. We will be able to provide you with a tax letter for these donations.
Reduce - Re-use - Recycle.......we've all heard this mantra and, especially in this economy, many of us are trying to live more simply. I am interested in starting a "Freecycle" type of list on a board at Trinity where people can post either items they want to get rid of or items they are looking for. Members of Trinity have been so kind in sharing their extra household items with those in need. Whenever I ask for donations, many people tell me they are trying to downsize. This can be a place for some to "reduce" their clutter and others to pick up and "re-use" those unwanted items. By recycling in this way, less stuff will be made, less money will be spent, and less of an impact will be made on the earth.
I imagine that people can either request a price for their items or offer it for free. Both parties will make arrangements with each other. So, keep tuned for more information about how this will work and where it will be located. I welcome input and assistance, as well!
Thanks to the many people who have been pitching in to help in Birty's absence (a special thanks to Jim Person!). Birty will be easing his way back in to his duties this month, but we will continue to ask for help as he builds his strength.