Talk to organist Bill Wade about playing in the Intergeneration Chime Choir.
The choir will sing member Jim Shoemaker's Promises of God cantata on Sunday, Nov.1st at 4pm at University United Methodist Church. They will be joined by the Choir of Zion United Church of Christ.
Willis Jenkins, Ph.D., author and assistant professor of social ethics at Yale University, will present two lectures - "The Ecology of Grace: Why Protecting Biodiversity Matters for Friendship with God" on Monday, October 19 and "Neighborhood Ethics: Building Just and Sustainable Communities" on Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church at 4501 Westminster Place (at Taylor) in the Central West End. Both lectures are free and open to the public.
...awaits your donations for our Winger Food Pantry. Please consider bringing canned goods and non-perishable items for our weekly pantry. Monthly, we will wheel the cart down with our other offerings as a reminder that this, too, is part of our stewardship and mission work.
Sunday, October 11th, 7:00 PM
Click here to download a color flyer, from which this quote was taken:
Perhaps few youth choirs from Africa or elsewhere can demonstrate the diverse artistry for which the Winneba Youth Choir of Ghana is now famed.
With voices evenly balanced between boys and girls, they just about readily approach with easy a wide-ranging repertoire - from complex choral harmonies to folk, American Spirituals and Gospel, yet remain true to their unique niche of African song and dance traditions.
Though from Ghana, the choir proudly bears a banner for all of Africa, and thus showcases selections from around the continent. It's not only the long standing ovation that welcomed them back to stage for their second concert at the 2008 World Choral Symposium in Copenhagen, Denmark, or the throngs of admirers that followed them on their Germany tour, their charm is resplendent in the sincerity of each performance. For, here is a choir whose female treble voices could bring tears to your eyes and yet with their young men would render matured repertoire that'll make even the Mormon Tabernacle Choir flinch with envy. Yes, simply put, the Winneba Youth Choir of Ghana is that good. Their partnership with the African Musical Arts, Inc of St Louis ensures that the choir is host to a steady flow of choral directors and clinicians from the United States and Europe to help train and enrich the choir's repertoire. As Musical Director, John Arthur-Francis Yemoah (popularly known as "Paa John") is well-known and respected in choral circles in Ghana and the United States. With a keen eye on artistic and personal integrity, Paa John has directed the choir for 20 years.
Preschool
The preschool class is is offered during both Sunday School and Worship for children age 2 1/2 through Pre-K. Lessons this fall will follow the same themes as the elementary school program (see below). The Preschool room is located downstairs.
Elementary School
Elementary school children meet downstairs in the large main room at 9:30am for breakfast treats. After treats, children break up into their smaller classes (Kindergarten & 1st Grades, 2nd/3rd/4th Grades, and 5th/6th Grades) for Bible lessons. Each month will have a different area of focus. This fall's themes include:
Junior High & High School
Sunday mornings for youth will focus on fellowship, devotions, and serving others. Meet in the Dining Room (downstairs) at 9:30am. Every Sunday will begin with devotions followed by a unique opportunity to grow in faith, including:
1st Sunday of Each Month:
Devotions + Create and Prepare Lesson to Teach for Preschool.
2nd Sunday of Each Month:
Devotions + Teach the Preschool Class.
3rd Sunday of Each Month:
Devotions + Walk over to Bread Co. for Breakfast & Fellowship (bring $).
4th Sunday of Each Month:
Devotions + Serve in the Food Pantry.
When there is a 5th Sunday of the Month, youth will participate in a special service opportunity.
Nursery
Childcare is offered during both the Sunday School hour and Worship.
Confirmation:
A confirmation class is currently in session for 7th and 8th graders. Visit www.trinityyouthonline.com
Fall Youth Activity:
Sunday, October 4th: Six Flags
Youth, junior high and high school, are invited to attend our fall fellowship event. We will depart for Six Flags immediately following Worship and return to the church at 8:45pm. Sign up by September 30th.
Youth Liturgists:
We welcome children and youth (3rd grade and older) to participate as youth liturgist during Worship. Please contact Dawn or visit www.trinityyouthonline.com to sign up.
For more information about any children and youth program or activity, please contact Dawn Fleishman at 24.dawn@gmail.com or at the church office.
...starting Sunday, October 18th at 9:30 am in room 206. Dan will coordinate a weekly gathering at spiritual formation time for parents who would like a place to talk and share. Speak with Dan for more information and join us-it'll be even better than heading to Bread Co. for coffee!
Teacher Anna Moffatt Gardner-Andrews works in the St. Louis public schools and needs our help purchasing or donating 22 pencil pouches for her students who cannot afford them. Can you help?
The award-winning Winneba Youth Choir of Ghana will offer a free concert at Trinity the evening of Sunday, October 11th (invite your friends to return in the evening!). Stay tuned for details, including the opportunity to host one of the singers (ages 15-24, both genders).
...is starting Sunday, October 4th after worship, run by Vicki Carmichael and Karen Coletti. Kids should bring a snack and get ready for creating art, stories and music, playing games together, doing a mission project, and making friends. The group will meet the first 3 weeks of each month.
The Peacemaking Offering will be collected this Sunday, October 4th. We use 25% of the Offering for local peacemaking ministries, 25% goes to presbyteries and synods, and 50% is used by the General Assembly ministries through the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. Please prayerfully consider a donation.
Represent Trinity at a local conference to learn how to be a welcoming church for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons. Friday-Sunday, October 9-11 at Bethel Lutheran on Big Bend right across from Wash U. Talk with Liz if interested in helping Trinity continue its mission of welcome for people of all sexual orientations.
Back in 1953, the Kingshighway and United Presbyterian congregations made a historic, yet risky, decision-to merge two formerly disparate gatherings into one unified body, which they named Trinity. How fortunate we are today that they decided to do so! The legacy of Trinity is built upon this very decision. Indeed, the decision has provided 56 years of joy, fellowship and dedication to our mission. The current membership of Trinity owes the two congregations of 1953 a debt we can never repay.
At Trinity, in 2009, we are faced with a critical turning point-indeed, I believe an ultimatum-in the history of our congregation, and decisions that will, like the merger in 1953, shape the future of this body for generations to come. There are many facets to this ultimatum, but boiled down, it is this: how will we constitute ourselves in the 21st century? Will we continue to be the joyful but shrinking congregation we are today, or will we seek new paths, new visions, to enable the promise for those who follow us? How appropriate it is that in 2009, two generations removed from 1953, we are at the point of making such decisions.
As stewards of Trinity, we serve not merely for today but for a tomorrow far more important than today. The true steward looks ahead to face the challenges of the future, ever mindful of a joyous past that must never be forgotten but rather built upon, celebrated, studied and cherished. In the context of Stewardship 2009, this means we must turn our eyes outward to achieve the promise that our mothers and fathers before us saw-an ever-joyous congregation- knowing that by taking risk, we are stronger, not weaker, in the long run. How right they were! They saw 56 years of promise ahead.
How do we envision Trinity in 2059? The question has many answers but only one method, one way to get there. What is that method? It is simple, direct and involves all of us, not just at a superficial level-the giving of money-but at the deepest personal level: Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord. I can hear you calling in the night. I will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.
In 2009, our congregation and our resources are slowly dwindling. Still, a new generation of children is learning the Good News, and our programs and outreach are enjoyable and effective. We are blessed with excellence in every area we touch. But this is not sufficient. Jesus never settled for "good enough." He continuously reached out for growth, for vision, for wisdom. He knew that only by taking risk-risk that only God can lead us through-could we achieve the promise that lay ahead, the goals of a future body of Christ that could only be imagined, 56 years ahead (let alone 2000!).
Let us also examine the paths ahead, just as Kingshighway and United did, 56 years ago. Let us take the risks. Let us be ever-generous, ever-loving, ever-mindful stewards of our body-never taking for granted that the way we are now is the only way, the best way, the correct way. We are here, Lord; it is us, Lord. We hear you calling.
God will lead us, keeping us in the heart of God. Let us commit ourselves to be so led. Let us look back on 56 years of joy, and expand our stewardship in marvelous new ways, to enable a new era of promise.
Trinity's own Reverend Jane Rand was presented with the Samuel D. Press Award for her contribution to the Church in theology and ministry at Eden Theological Seminary on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. During Eden's opening Fall Convocation. Look for details and pictures in next month's Trinity News!
Been thinking about inviting a friend, some neighbors or a co-worker to experience Trinity? That's a great idea most any Sunday (or Saturday at 5 p.m. also!), but now you have a special reason to focus on Sunday, October 11.
Dawn Fleishman promises a particularly engaging Sunday school hour that day for the kids. Adult education will be kicking off a new DVD-based series that sounds really interesting. And we'll have some special treats to share during the fellowship time after church.
Not sure how to ask someone? We've got that covered too! Look for special invitations in the Narthex that you can use to provide invitees with more details.
We look forward to seeing lots of new faces on the 11th!
October 4: Trinity's Bell Tower
Stewardship is ultimately what allows us to project our presence beyond our walls. How is God calling you to give of your time, talents, and treasures? How can our congregation and ministry be transformed by a spirit of cheerful giving? An engaging discussion and study on the history and future of Trinity featuring various members of our congregation.
October 11 through November 8 (5 Sundays): Countering Pharaoh's Production-Consumption Society Today
A five-session DVD study featuring theologian Walter Brueggemann
Confirmation:
See www.trinityyouthonline.com.
The confirmation class will take a field trip, Saturday, October 10. Please meet at the church at 4:30 p.m. and we will return to the church by 7:30 p.m. A permission form must be filled out and signed by a parent.
YOUTH ACTIVITY:
Sunday, October 4th: Six Flags
Junior high and high school students are invited to attend our fall fellowship event. We will depart for Six Flags immediately following Worship and return to the church at 8:30 p.m.
Youth Liturgists:
We welcome children and youth (3rd grade and older) to participate as youth liturgist during Worship. Please contact Dawn or visit www.trinityyouthonline.com to sign up.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
If you would like to help out with our Sunday School program, here are some of the opportunities available this fall:
What promises has God made to you? How has God fulfilled God's promises in your life? Scripture is full of promises made by God to God's faithful: "Lo, I am with you always;" "I go to prepare a place for you and, . . . I will come again and receive you unto myself;" "No one shall hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain." These promises are rich with the goodness of God and they sustain us as we seek to know and do God's will in our lives.
On Sunday, November 1st, 2009 you will have the opportunity to hear a unique and wonderful musical setting of many of the promises found in the Bible. Trinity member Jim Shoemaker wrote the Cantata "Promises of God" in 2001 and, at that time, a small choir premiered the piece at Overland Presbyterian Church. This November the Trinity Choir will join with a choir from Zion U.C.C. in Florissant, MO and with other singers to present this cantata in its entirety once again.
A cantata is a piece of music, often with organ or chamber orchestra accompaniment, that incorporates various sung forms such as choral numbers, solo arias, duets and other ensembles. "Promises of God" is true to the cantata genre in its various vocal forms and the instrumentation consists of pipe organ with various solo instruments (trumpet and bongos, for instance); however, this cantata is unique in that each piece is written in a different musical style. You will hear traditional chorales and choral anthems as well as pieces influenced by soul music, Klezmer tradition, reggae and more.
I encourage all of you to join us at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2009 to experience this spiritually rich musical performance. If you want to be involved in a deeper way, please consider joining the choir for this performance. If you have an interest in singing, please talk with me or with organist Bill Wade to get a score and a rehearsal schedule. Or email to vcarmichael44@gmail.com for more information.
A letter was sent to the congregation in September detailing the personnel cuts in the initial 2010 budget approved by Session. While the cuts to personnel are difficult, Trinity will be in a stronger position financially to cover its operating expenses. The economy this year has forced Trinity to look long and hard at its financial situation now and into the future. While Trinity will still have a deficit for 2010 with the cuts, the deficit will be a smaller one in 2011, and, God willing, Trinity will be covering its operating expenses with income in the near future. The Trinity staff has worked hard in 2009 to keep expenses down, and our projected deficit this year should be less than expected. Savings now will provide additional security in the future. As Session and Corporate Affairs move through the final 2010 budget process, please provide your feedback and ideas. Cuts in personnel are never easy in any business, but it may even be harder in a church where relationships move beyond the job duties, and people become personally connected and involved. It is a challenging time at Trinity.
Ever call Trinity, get the voicemail (or worse, a busy signal) and wonder where the live staff is?! Never fear, we are here-and I encourage all of you to please leave a message if you don't reach me directly. Some of you have said you are hesitant to leave a message and or prefer to continue trying back, but we have a great system that gives me a red voicemail light when you leave a message. So, even when I am on the other line, I can see as soon as someone has left one.
There are many reasons you sometimes get our voicemail system: quite often, I am on extended calls with members, contractors or staff and choose not to switch over; I also spend time around the building taking care of building issues or need to run an errand. And sometimes, nature calls!
We have eight staff members and two phone lines, so periodically you will get a busy signal if both lines are in use. We are exploring options for directing those calls to voicemail, but, until then, please do continue trying back. Email also works well: tpcucity@swbell.net. I look forward to hearing from you!
Genny Richmond brought this graph to me, taken out of a newsletter from another Presbyterian church. I wonder how Trinity members compare to these national stats? And what do our differences say about our strengths? Our personality as a church?
|
Members |
Elders |
Pastors | |
|
Median Age |
58 yrs |
58 yrs |
52 yrs |
|
Female |
52% |
51% |
24% |
|
Married |
80% |
81% |
86% |
|
Raised in the Presbyterian Church |
44% |
47% |
61% |
|
College Graduate |
65% |
65% |
100% |
|
Median Family Income |
$73,200 |
$72,100 |
$72,900 |
|
Mean household size |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.8 |
|
Republican |
53% |
51% |
26% |
|
Democrat |
27% |
30% |
49% |
A few weekends ago, I walked past Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, listening to the music from the Jazz Festival as my dad and I talked. We were discussing what most dads and daughters do-church finances (if the dad is a minister and the daughter a church administrator, that is!). My dad, Rev. Phil Blackwell, has been the Senior Pastor at The First Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple (in the Loop) for the past nine years.
Earlier that day, I had peeked at their newly-renovated sanctuary and narthex (on the first two floors of a high rise building across from Daley Plaza-check them out at www.chicagotemple.org.) The changes include: a wheelchair ramp up to the chancel, new stairs up to the chancel, completely rearranged pews (including cut-outs for wheelchairs and strollers and a center aisle instead of two on the sides), much better lighting and sound systems, and a new glassed-in gathering space at the back that necessitated the removal of many rows of pews, but created a fellowship space that did not exist before.
As we talked about the motivation for all that hassle and change of the familiar of this historic church (they moved their organ! They removed most of the kneeling railings up front! They completely re-arranged the seating!), things were starting to sound familiar. Trinity wants to be more accessible and welcoming, too. The surprise came when I mentioned our current financial situation as a reason why we had not immediately moved forward on the elevator project and other accessibility and welcoming building projects, and he informed me that the Temple had also decided a few years ago to stop accepting yearly Endowment payments toward the budget.
In their case, it was a yearly $120,000 payment and they cut it out over a two-year period and made numerous difficult budget and staffing cuts as well; all to maximize their long term fiscal health. This sounds quite a lot like the recent Trinity budget decisions and reasoning behind those decisions.
How did the Temple decide to both run a capital campaign for renovations ($1.2 million-$900,000 raised by a capital campaign, the rest borrowed from the bank) AND cut out the endowment gifts at the same time? He noted that they were actually two separate decisions that had grown at differing speeds out of different conversations about the church's mission and purpose. In fact, he said they had already been discussing accessibility issues when he arrived nine years ago, but they "took a five year break because many did not have the confidence we could raise the money. We shared a vision for justice, but were uncertain of what that would look like. We say that 'all are welcome at the table,' but hadn't figured out how all would get there. The five-year delay allowed us to build confidence and momentum in the ministry of the church over all." Honestly, I was relieved to see that we aren't the only ones lacking a cohesive long-term plan.
"At some point we took the leap to be a church of the future," he continued, as we headed back from the park towards the Temple (the parsonage is an apartment in the steeple), passing the numerous homeless people and 'characters' that constitute Chicago. "We couldn't decide not to renovate simply because we didn't have that many disabled members. Who knows who was staying away because we weren't terribly welcoming or accessible for their needs? We finally decided it was better to raise and borrow the money and be able to say, 'look at what we've done,' than to keep talking about what we could do. We continue to ask for donations to be given out of thankfulness for what we've done, which partially come from those who now feel welcome."
Although there are differences between the Chicago Temple and Trinity (three or more services, more urban setting, larger membership, multiple social justice actions), we share a common vision grounded in the love of Jesus Christ for all humankind-that we must be the hands of that Christ in this world and must show it in obvious ways, even if it means making difficult financial choices and changes to our beloved building so we can focus on better sharing that love. Our focus needs to be outward, not inward.
That Sunday in church I saw three people in wheelchairs, a family with a baby sleeping soundly in a stroller right next to them, a boy with Autism vocalizing somewhere in the middle of the congregation, a blind man heading up the main stairs to receive communion, and sound and lighting systems that actually aided those with challenges. Dad says some of them are rather new visitors, especially since he officiated a wedding where one of the wedding couple had a disability, the other was a community advocate for people with disabilities, and many of the guests were disabled. All in attendance had been so pleased at the accessibility of the church and obviously felt welcome. And that glass-dare I say-"atrium" in the narthex allowed my family to attend coffee hour on Sunday for the first time in all our years of visiting. Who knew the treats had previously been up on the second floor? Turns out, not many people at all, especially visitors.
I am struck that, whatever Trinity decides to do, it will need to be bold. "What about making incremental changes rather than bold moves, Dad?" Always the storyteller, he relayed this: "In 1969, your mom and I were at my first church assignment in England, where they were considering changing the driving patterns over to the European way (the right side rather than the left). A woman called in to a BBC radio show and, in all earnestness, suggested that all the trucks should try the lane change for a week and, if all went well, then the rest of the vehicles should follow suit the next week. As you can see, incremental change is not always wise."
I celebrate our shared vision within Trinity and look forward to continuing our bold moves to live out that vision in our building and programming.
I hate to admit it, but when members of the Trinity staff and session were asked to write an article describing what they see as a vision for the future of Trinity, I panicked just a little. I didn't think I had a vision. I prayed, but wasn't sure if I was hearing God's answer. The simple truth is that I'm not a visionary. I'm an encourager, a lover of creation. I don't imagine great things for the future; rather I see them in the present.
To say that I'm not a visionary doesn't mean that I think purposeful motion in a chosen direction isn't necessary-I do. I just tend to find my "vision" one moment at a time. As your choir director, I can dream up all sorts of possible futures. For example, we might have a larger choir (80 voices! 200!) or many choirs, players for 5 octaves of hand bells, several children's choirs, an acapella gospel quartet, a rock band for alternative worship and youth events; or how about a symphonic band or an orchestra made up of Trinity members? Musicians' retreats? A composer in residence? Hymn-sing workshops, musicals, sponsored concert events, a dramaturgy ministry/acting troupe, or small groups devoted to music-making as a spiritual discipline? These things, and more, are all possible and exciting to dream about. But I know that, ultimately, what we do is not so important. Growth will depend not on what we do, but rather on how we do it.
What we will choose to do or have in specific response to God's call to our music ministry is not where God gives me a grand vision. For me, that vision happens when I consider who we will choose to be and how we will choose to interact with one another and with those in our surrounding communities. My vision for Trinity Church is that we grow into a body of people who truly love one another and love those we serve. We will be compelled to sing and play and write and dance and listen and hum and shout in all kinds of ways when we finally realize that we are loved and accepted without condition and that we are called to love and accept others. We find purpose when we know that God cares for us and intends us each to live meaningful, joyful lives.
My vision for Trinity Church as an institution is that we strive to be a place of refuge, of hope, of justice, of mercy and kindness for those in the surrounding communities and the world. There are so many needs and so many ways in which we can choose to meet those needs. Be it our food pantry or shelter for the homeless, a safe space for the persecuted and oppressed or after-school programs and tutoring for at-risk youth, the details are unimportant. God always finds a way to empower and provide for those whom God sends. What God cannot do for us is choose to accept God's call-that is up to us.
My vision for Trinity Church as a faith community is that we be one body, where everyone is encouraged and supported as they seek to know and do God's will. By supporting each other in this way we will guarantee growth. People are attracted to spiritual health. Remember those people in whose presence you always feel safe, loved, energized and valued: that preacher with the laughing eyes, the teacher or mentor who always builds you up, the elderly neighbor, or grandma, or uncle who always has time for you, the friend who brings out the best in you. If we become the people we enjoy and respect, we will delight in each other and will attract others who want to love and serve. When the time we spend in praise and prayer, in fellowship, and outside our doors doing God's work in our communities is the time we most look forward to, when kindness and intimacy trump agenda, then we will be living the future to which I see Trinity called.
Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty
Reach out in love and faith as we follow Jesus' call to feed the hungry and help the oppressed by joining in the 3rd annual St. Louis Metro CROP Walk, on Sunday, October 25, in Forest Park. Neighbors of different faiths, cultures and ages walk and raise money together to raise awareness and funds for international and local relief and development.
Hungry people in developing countries typically walk as much as six miles a day to get food, water and fuel, and to take their goods to market. We walk to be in solidarity with their struggle for existence. We walk because they walk! CROP Hunger Walks help fight hunger and poverty around the world, including the United States. In the last 20 years, walks have raised over $294 million. A little help can make a big difference. For example:
$25 - can provide blankets to a family of 5 displaced by violence or natural disaster
$50 - can provide oral rehydration therapy for 55 children suffering from diarrhea-a deadly disease to children in the developing world
$100 - can provide a micro-credit loan to a woman trying to start a business to support her family
$200 - can provide a water buffalo to a farming family struggling to increase their farm production
To join the CROP Hunger Walk or contribute to a Walker, contact Rick Jeter, rvjeter@gmail.com or me, juliammc@sbcglobal.net. Reach out in faith and love, for together, we can make a difference!
"In this matter, as in so much else in our great country, why cannot the status quo be the way forward?"
- Speaker at the General Synod of the Church of England (Death of the Church, Mike Regele and Mark Schulz, 1995)
This Fall at Trinity we are talking a lot about change-in budgets, in staffing, in priorities. I firmly believe that the changes we are making, while difficult, are necessary for our future vitality. But all of this change begs some important questions: what has happened that Trinity needs to consider such change at this time? Have we done something wrong? Are larger forces at work that we need to respond to? Why cannot the status quo be the way forward?
My answer to the first question is, no, we have not done anything wrong. Trinity has a tremendous and faithful legacy of vibrant, engaging ministry among its members, in its local community and around the globe. Trinity has always been sensitive to needs in its community and the call to work for justice and equality. I believe that in the 21st Century God continues to call us to that same ministry.
So why isn't our current pattern of ministry sustainable any more? It was in previous decades. Trinity's current ministry is in slow decline and needs to change because the culture around us has gone through enormous changes in the past 20 years. If we, and so many other churches like us want to continue to share the timeless Gospel, we need to adapt to the world in which we find ourselves.
So what are some of those societal changes? The following list, while not exhaustive, begins to help us see why our current ministry isn't engaging people like it once did:
The changes we are talking about at Trinity are being driven largely by the disconnect between what we do and what so many in our culture feel about and need from a church. Last month I spelled out some changes that I think we should seriously consider-but regardless of what changes we make, they need to be conversant with the people whom we are seeking to touch with the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. For while we desire a church that speaks to our own spiritual needs, our call from God is to go beyond that and to share the love of Jesus with the entire world.
The Good News in all of this is Trinity has the capacity and the experience to change. Trinity is a church that has gone through many changes in its long history-a history that extends back into the 19th Century. A mere 56 years ago, Trinity was born-the result of a merger between First United Presbyterian of University City (which was housed in our current building) and Kingshighway Presbyterian Church of the City of St. Louis (located on the corner of Kingshighway and Cabanne). Both congregations were experiencing decline and needed each other if they were going to continue to fulfill God's calling. Mergers present many changes and challenges, but the congregation lived through that change and a new and vibrant congregation emerged. In 1967 when the Rev. Don Weems was called as Pastor, Trinity was again going through difficult times. Through Don's leadership and the faithful work of its members, Trinity made substantive changes and a new era of vitality arose. The changes in the late 60's and early 70's included reconfiguring the Sanctuary (if you look at old pictures of the Sanctuary you will see that those changes were massive), purchasing a new pipe organ, the addition of youth mission trips, moving from two Sunday morning services to one. Most of these changes are now normative to us, but when they were introduced, they represented a break with the past and a walk in faith into an unknown future. Doubtless, those changes were not easy to make, but the members of this congregation embraced them as necessary and they took hold and new era began. As we look back on our history, we see a long and purposeful march of change-change that was brought about so the Gospel would speak to a new generation.
The other piece of Good News in this time of change is that we worship God who is all about change and who is faithful to us in the midst of change. I can think of no greater "change" than the resurrection. Out of death, out of despair, out of a situation where all options seemed cut off, God brought about new life. The resurrection is not only our personal hope that we will live eternally with God, it is the church's hope that God will remake us and re-energize us and re-enliven us so that we can continue to share the Good News in an ever-changing world.
There is a great old hymn that speaks about the necessity and the challenge and ultimately the joy of change:
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Our challenge and joy in the coming years is to learn to tell the "old, old story" as we sing the "new, new song."