....will start again in September. In the meantime, join one of the B&B (Bonding & Bridging) small groups getting ready to start! Speak with Rev. Julie for details.
Session has clearly articulated that our path ahead depends on growth. We need to grow our spiritual connections with each other, grow our mission work in the community, and grow the number of members in our family of faith. This project, while not primarily motivated by growth, sets the stage for our efforts to reach out and increase our number. We can't safely remain in our building if we don't fix the bell tower and boiler, and our ability to worship and congregate inclusively and fully has already been compromised by the lack of an elevator. By securing and enhancing our meeting space, we set the stage for our continuing efforts to expand our ministry and welcome new members.
Architectural plans have been generated for the elevator replacement, tower repair, and second floor lobby construction. (Member Mark O'Bryan was hired as the architect for this project). Bids were solicited, and McGrath Construction has been selected to do this part of the project.
Plans and bids are in place for the projects on the lower level (flooring, bathroom, accessible door, boiler). These components are separate from the main elevator project. In the coming months, the Elevator Oversight Committee will make decisions on how to prioritize these components based on available funds and church priorities. We invite continued dialogue by all members as these decisions are weighed.
Save the weekend of August 27-29 for our annual weekend retreat to the Presbytery's Mound Ridge Center on the Meramec River. Want to help plan activities? Talk with Liz in the office. And save Sunday, September 12th for our all-church picnic. Contact Cheryl Evans to help plan: 963-3152.
A major feature of our campaign is the home visit, scheduled for the afternoon of June 6th, the Commissioning day of the campaign.Because this campaign is so important for our church and our future, we want to make sure that everyone who is interested can be personally involved.A number of our members have volunteered to serve as Visiting Stewards, which means that they will be coming to your house after church on June 6th.During this visit, you and the steward will have a chance to discuss the project and the ministry of the church. The Steward will also give you a pledge card that can be used to make a financial commitment to the project. There is no need to make an appointment with your steward - please plan to be available at your house between 1pm and 3pm that afternoon, and the steward will come by during that window.
Our elevator, added before the merger in 1953, has never been ADA-compliant and is now in violation of Missouri code. Even if it met code requirements, it is obsolete and parts are no longer available. A team of members at Trinity has been talking for more than three years about how to replace or upgrade the elevator, making our building safe and accessible to all. They developed a plan that also includes repairs to our bell tower and changes to the lower level to increase accessibility and welcoming. The project was approved at the congregational meeting in January. In March, the elevator stopped working completely, and the Session decided not to pursue the very costly test and repairs of the existing machine.
We know that this is a difficult time in the economy, and many of us have been personally affected by national and local economic events. It may seem like this is the "wrong time" to be embarking on such a large project. But is there ever really a "right time"? Much careful deliberation and prayer has led our congregation to this point over the last several years, so we know that this is project that must be done. We could delay the start of our fundraising, but every day that we delay is a day that we aren't living into our calling to be a fully accessible and welcoming congregation. We know that God provides even when forces beyond our control might discourage us. Our faithful commitment, to the extent that we are each able, will make this project successful beyond our wildest imagination.
Trinity has been worshiping at 6800 Washington for almost 60 years, and the church was built 30 years before Trinity was formed. Our congregation has been in extensive discussion over the last year about our ministry and our future. Those conversations called us to remain a vital and growing part of the University City fabric. Our location near to the Loop and the residential neighborhoods surrounding Washington University is an asset, and one that we can maintain only by staying in our present location. Although our aged building presents many challenges, the environmental and financial costs of tearing it down and starting a new building somewhere else are prohibitive.
Our building has been the congregation's home over all of this time because each generation of members has taken its turn repairing and improving the building. As the present stewards of the church, it is now our turn to Restore and Renew our space. By catching up with deferred maintenance, and adapting our space to new needs and ministries, we can work to insure the vitality of Trinity's mission and ministry for decades to come.
The new elevator and other renovations are expensive projects. Given the significant challenge set by these parts of the project, several people have questioned why the campaign includes additional fundraising for a mission project. They suggest that it might be easier to reach our goals if we just focused on the elevator and associated building projects.
Christian stewardship calls us to give generously, and in particular, to always give to those in need. It is true that we have significant needs in our own building, but we would not be living up to our calling if we only focused on Trinity's internal needs.Scripture is full of reminders that we must share of our countless blessings with others: "Happy are those who consider the poor;* the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble. 2The Lord protects them and keeps them alive; they are called happy in the land." Psalm (41:1-2, NSRV). Bearing this imperative in mind, the Session decided that a small mission component should be added to the campaign.This was proposed and approved at the congregational meeting in January.
The Session has chosen to work with an ecumenical group known as Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled (SHED). This is a newly formed group based in University City, and several Trinity members are actively involved in SHED leadership. The mission of the organization is to provide basic home repair and maintenance to elderly and disabled members of our community who are not able to do the work themselves, and for whom hiring professional assistance is too costly. Session felt that this was an appropriate mission partner for several reasons. First, SHED's mission to improve accessibility for elderly and disabled persons dovetails nicely with our campaign themes of accessibility and welcoming. Secondly, working with a partner based in our community reinforces the important role of Trinity in our current location. Finally, this partnership will allow for ongoing and direct participation by our members, so that we can practice personal commitment in addition to financial support.
"I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together. All who follow Jesus, all around the world, yes, we're the church together...." To me, church has always been about faithful family and about precious people. Growing up with two parents, two grandparents, and a great-grandparent who were ministers, it was always hard for me to separate church from family. Therefore, I decided at a very early age that they were one and the same. The first thing my husband Chris and I looked for when we arrived in St. Louis six years ago was a family away from home, and that was what we found here at Trinity.
You, our family members, have made us feel welcomed in so many ways. I will always have fond memories of how you embraced us with the unique "Welcome Song". We immediately felt adopted into a loving community of believers and we trusted that you would experience both joys and hardships with us for many years to come.
Our most monumental, marvelous moment thus far as a couple arrived on July 5, 2008, when we were wed in the Trinity sanctuary by pastor Dan and by both of my parents. It was so touching to have my mother and father share in a service with members of our new St. Louis family. Truly I tell you, those two families became one on that spirit-filled occasion. So many lovely members of this church made that dazzling day a reality. Beloved Birty dressed the church in beauty. Loving Liz crafted unique service bulletins, and, of course, Dynamic Dr. Dan filled our ears with wonderful words to live by. Thank you, dear family, for opening Trinity doors to friends from our hometowns and from our local workplaces.
I have recently enjoyed embracing my Trinity family by participating in a small group B & B. Thoughtful, faith-based discussions have helped my biblical understandings grow with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I have attempted to touch the lives of St. Louis families by serving with the Trinity food pantry. Lastly, I will be forever grateful to several of you who for incorporating my inner city students at Vashon High School into our life as a church body. You have graciously donated school supplies so that they may continue to learn and flourish in an educational setting.
We are a fantastic family, and you have proven that in multiple ways. Since this church building is our home, we must maintain it to ensure that we can continue to do God's work and welcome others into the fold. I encourage you to give generously to the capital campaign here at Trinity so that this nurturing space can continue to comfortably house more family.
When Dan asked me to participate in this series I wanted to speak about this place, here at Trinity, how our mission is related to where we are and how it is our responsibility to maintain this place. To get there, I am going to use Google Earth
If you are not familiar with Google Earth, it is an application that uses satellite imagery to allow you and I to see the world in a way we could not see it before. It allows us to fly to anyplace on earth and see it as if we were on top of it. So, lets imagine we are opening Google Earth.
Type in 6800 Washington Avenue University City, Missouri, and the program starts to dive down closer and closer to the earth. We will see North America, the Midwest US, and then Missouri. As we get closer you see the St. Louis Area and pass by your homes. As we fall into University City we can see the homes we will work at next Saturday for SHED or Safe Housing for Elderly and Disabled. As we get closer we see the Loop, Washington University, Ames Place and the U. City post office. Finally, we hover over a building at the corner of Washington and Kingsland.
This is our place, Trinity Church. Where, and I paraphrase, we welcome all who profess faith in Jesus Christ without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, sexual orientation, or disability. We come together here for worship, for fellowship, for food, for education, for music, for love. We gather from north, east, south and west to this place. This place is significant in all our lives - for example, this is where our sons, Jeff and Zach were baptized and confirmed.
This is where we come together so that we can go out in Mission. That mission is all over the world, but much of it is here in our neighborhood. We provide many services from this building - such as the Food pantry, and also opening our doors to local organizations for their use - Care and Counseling, OASIS, Community School and many others. Our mission is in this place and from this place.
That is what I feel is the importance of Trinity Church here at 6800 Washington Avenue, University City, Missouri. It is our place and it is our responsibility to be proper stewards of it for the community and for ourselves, for our mission, now and in the future. I can't imagine Trinity any place but right here.
The theme for our Capital Campaign is "Restore & Renew". While this includes technical improvements to our church building, the theme that runs through them is inclusiveness and welcome.
Without an elevator we cut off access to our building not only to Trinity's members and visitors who need it to get to worship, or other church events throughout the week, but also to any member of the community who participates with one of Trinity's many partners who use our space - be it picking up local, farm-fresh food from Fair Shares, taking their children to lessons from the Community Music School, or meeting with one of the numerous support groups with whom we open our space each week.
While the improvements to this building will benefit many in our community, the Session felt it was critical that we also spread our message of inclusiveness and welcome throughout the community by restoring and renewing not only this space, but also the world around us.
Trinity has selected Safe Housing for the Elderly and Disabled as our mission partner for the capital campaign. SHED is a University City-based organization that was formed last year with Trinity as a founding partner, along with four other congregations. Trinity members Pat Gibbons and Rick Jeter have been fundamental to getting SHED up and running.
So, what does SHED do? SHED gathers and organizes requests for assistance from residents of University City who need, but cannot afford, help to make their homes safe and accessible. Whether it's simply yard work that can no longer be done, or repairs and small construction projects to help our neighbors in need be able to stay in and use their homes safe despite the challenges they face from age or disability, SHED is there to provide what they need, at no cost to them.
The financial commitment Trinity is making to SHED through the capital campaign will allow them to expand their operations to meet the incredible amount of need there is in University City for their services. SHED will be able to obtain tools for volunteers to use, allowing more people pitch in to help. It will allow SHED to hire contractors when necessary to provide quality work on more complex projects that are beyond the abilities of volunteer labor. And it will provide administrative support to more quickly identify people in need, and get the work done that will make a tangible improvement in their lives.
We also chose SHED because it is easy to get involved, and the opportunities are very flexible to accommodate the busy schedules of Trinity members. Typically, a project runs for just a morning or an afternoon, with the crew coordinating its work with the homeowner. This allows more of us to have a direct impact on improving our neighbor's lives by working to help them restore and renew their homes. Simply put, SHED's efforts improve our community.
As part of our capital campaign, we will be having our first Congregation-wide SHED workday on Saturday, May 22. We invite each of you to volunteer on that day to see SHED in action. As someone who has already volunteered for SHED, I can tell you that it will make a real difference in our neighbor's lives, and it will change yours as well.
...for planting flowers in our flower beds. Fresh herbs will be coming soon to the flower bed behind our church sign, compliments of Elaine Pontious.
...for the lovely begonias you provided for the entire congregation on Mother's day.
Take a look at the renovations we've done in the past and learn details of the repairs and renovations necessary as we move forward into God's future for Trinity. Prayerfully consider your pledge as we lead up to our June 6th "Commitment Sunday." Questions about the campaign or projects? Please speak with co-chairs Brian Muegge and George Philips or any Session member.
Save the weekend of August 27-29 for our annual weekend retreat to the Presbytery's Mound Ridge Center on the Meramec River. Want to help plan activities? Talk with Liz in the office.
Lots, as it turns out. The magnet board by the elevator is now dedicated to information about all of our mission activities, and the display case shares details about our Restore and Renew capital campaign. The Networking Nook and Liz's List are now by the lower Kingsland entrance.
A big thank you to Robyn and Rob Peglar, who have generously donated her father's Lowry organ to the Chapel. We look forward to Bill's playing!
PIPE ORGAN ENCOUNTER - JUNE 13-18
Sponsored by the Saint Louis chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Pipe Organ Encounter 2010 is an artistic/educational festival aimed at introducing young musicians to the world of the pipe organ. Based at the campus of Fontbonne University, Clayton, the week's events include workshops, daily private lessons, excursions to some of Saint Louis' finest pipe organs, field trips to visit local organ builders, and related activities. Middle school and high school students from around the Midwest will take part in the program. The festival will close with a recital by selected young organists from among POE students. The Saint Louis Chapter last hosted a Pipe Organ Encounter week in June, 2006, a highly successful event that was attended by students and faculty from ten Midwestern states.
For further information, visit the Saint Louis AGO website at www.agostlouis.org.
Please join us on Saturday, May 15 for a workday in support of Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled (SHED), a University City-based organization of which Trinity is a founding member. As you may have read in the campaign brochure that arrived this week, SHED is the mission partner for our ongoing Restore and Renew campaign. This workday is an excellent opportunity for you to get to make a difference in the lives of our elderly and disabled neighbors in University City, and see why Trinity is supporting this organization.
Teams are forming now--the more volunteers we have, the more people we can reach! We will disperse in small teams to community members' houses throughout the area to perform yard work, light maintenance, and painting, to help transform people's houses back into homes that are safe and that the homeowners can feel proud to inhabit. Please let me know (camra.dave@gmail.com) at your earliest convenience if you are able to work on the morning of Saturday, May 15.
Peace,
Dave Nelson
In the beginning, it was the music that drew me to Trinity. I had been without a real church home for over a year, and I was longing for a place where I would feel accepted and could be an active participant in the life of the church. The music drew me back to visit over and over again. It spoke to the corners of my heart that were aching. I love to sing and love to be a part of a good choir, so the first step I took was to join the choir.
When I started coming to choir rehearsals, I immediately felt welcome. I was thrilled to be challenged by the music we sang-and I still am. Over the years, the music directors have stretched my musical tastes-and my vocal chords! The greatest part of being in the choir is the love within it and the acceptance. My voice isn't what it used to be. It is a bit rusty and it certainly doesn't like to hit high Gs anymore, but I am still made to feel that what I can give is important.
Another reason I was drawn to Trinity was that when I first visited, I saw so many familiar faces, faces of people with whom I had worked on PTO projects, the Writing Center at Flynn Park, cheered with at soccer, water polo, baseball, field hockey, football games, and swim meets; people from my community where I taught and sent my kids to school. These were people I admired and loved, and they belonged to Trinity!
Ultimately, it was the diversity, the affirming openness along with the music that kept me and my family here. The reason my husband Brian and I had moved to University City thirty years ago was to raise our children in a diverse community. Little did we know when we moved here how diverse our family would become. We had no idea we would have a multiply-handicapped child. As many of you know, our youngest child, Anna, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage as a tiny infant. At that time, my family and I continued to attend the church we'd joined before we moved to U. City. We were lovingly cared for by my fellow choir members during her surgeries, but as she grew older and it was clear that she was not developing like a "normal" child, the congregation didn't really know what to do with us or her. We were looked on with a mixture of pity and misunderstanding. We just didn't fit in. When I brought Anna to Trinity, she was welcomed and encouraged to worship in her own way. Our family was surrounded by people who made us feel comfortable and wanted. The welcome was and is genuine. It is not just "good Christian care."
Shortly after I joined the church, I was asked to join the Board of Deacons. I was pleased to find that, as important as it is to tend the flowers and act as ushers, as was the custom for deacons in our previous experience, the deacons' purpose at Trinity, as outlined in Matthew 25, is to help the sick, comfort those who have lost loved ones, supply food and encouragement to those who are in crisis situations. Happily, I also found that as a group we became a family, caring for each other, listening to each other's joys and sorrows and providing support for one another. These friendships have continued although I have finished my term on the board.
Here at Trinity, I feel I don't have to fit a certain mold. I am taken as I am. I am not perfect, but I am encouraged to share what gifts I have. Most importantly, my family feels at home here along with me.
The music drew me into Trinity's warmth. The people have kept me here. I've found my church home for which I longed, and I am thankful for it.
As we repair and renovate to become safer, more accessible and more welcoming as we move into the future, it will take the active participation of many to make the campaign successful. Prayerfully consider where you will be able to share your gifts. Committees include: Advance Gifts, Prayer, Finance, Promotion, Fulfillment, Support, Hospitality, and Congregational Gifts.
A Summer B&B (Bonding & Bridging) group or two will be forming soon. Days and times will depend on participant schedules.
They meet with the Session this week as they prepare for their Confirmation on Sunday, May 16th.
...will be held on Tuesday evening (May 4) at 6pm in the Dining Room. Bring a salad to share for a time of fellowship.
...who will graduate this spring from Eden Seminary with her MA in Theological Studies.
The Capital Campaign Prayer Team (chaired by Stacy Shupe) is announcing a new round of prayer partners starting on May 3. The prayer partners will be praying for the success of the campaign, but more importantly for the future of our church.
In the final weeks before our summer break, Adult Spiritual Growth will finish its four-part series on Islam and then spend two weeks exploring the mission work of Trinity members. On May 2nd, Dr. Khaled A. Hamid and Ms. Gulten Ilhan will lead us in a discussion of: "Misinterpretations of Islam by radical Muslims. Where do they get their ideologies?"
We finish the season with a two-week series: "The journey within: Conversations with Trinity's mission volunteers." May 9th will be Nancy Wagoner (God's Child) and May 16th, Diana Gray (Bhutan). Classes are held in the Weems Chapel at 9:30 a.m. Sunday mornings.
Trinity is sending Genny Richmond to the annual Celebration of Aging service and luncheon as our honoree. She will be accompanied by guests Sue Young, Joy Pipes and Karen Mayberry. The program is sponsored by the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network and will be held on May 5th in Bridgeton. Trinity sent the following information to the Presbytery about Genny's service: "As a member of Trinity for 65 years, Genny has actively participated in the ministry on the following commissions: Evangelism, Session, Corporate Affairs, Chair of Deaconesses before they merged with Deacons, and a member of the former Parish Life commission for 25 years (some as chair)! To this day, she maintains an active care and concern for members of all ages and is the driving force of the Presbyterian Women's card-writing ministry to the homebound and sick. At 92, she also continues to volunteer weekly in the office, preparing the bulletins for Sunday worship."
Trinity is a founding member of an informal coalition of University City churches, Safe Homes for the Elderly and Disabled, or SHED. When our capital campaign succeeds, support for SHED will be the outreach piece of the building campaign that we are undertaking. In anticipation of this major support, Trinity plans a work Saturday on May 15. We will select homes, form teams, and, after a brief time of prayer, go out to work. We will be recruiting team leaders and signing up workers soon.
In SHED, teams of church members go to homes of persons in and near University City who can no longer do the work that the home needs. Last December 19, four from Trinity went to a home near Canton and Purdue to do much needed yard work. The homeowner was gracious and grateful. You can see some pictures at the SHED website, www.shedvolunteers.org. You can also see a list of some homes at which there is work to be done. The work is usually yard care, painting, or simple carpentry repair.
The Trinity congregation is blessed to have many teachers in its midst: teachers of all ages of students, teachers in all levels of education. As a result of their responsibilities during the school year, it has been difficult for our teachers to participate in Trinity's Bonding and Bridging small groups, where all are invited to share study, fellowship and service opportunities with other Trinity members and friends.
Teachers, we have heard your requests for a summer B&B series, so that you, too, may participate in this Trinity small group ministry. As a member of a Bonding and Bridging group (B&B) you will meet weekly, for six weeks, with a circle of Trinity members and friends to share in common study of Scripture as it relates to our lives today, be with old friends and make new friends as you meet together in one another's homes, and choose a short-term service project from among the many mission opportunities at Trinity.
This is a wonderful chance to become more connected with your church and to foster closer relationships with others in our congregation. The beginning dates of summer Bonding and Bridging ministry groups will be announced very soon, and in the meantime, if you would like to sign up for a group, or simply have more questions about B&B small groups, please speak to Associate Pastor Julie March at church, or email her at juliammc@sbcglobal.net.
For decades the Church has been a voice for social justice. Trinity's Session recently decided to continue that role by offering public support for the strengthening of the language of safe schools/anti-bullying legislation in Missouri. PROMO, Missouri's statewide organization advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality through legislative action, electoral politics, grassroots organizing, and community education recently shared the following information with me:
"Sadly, bullying based on different social characteristics occurs all too frequently in Missouri schools. 27% of Missouri students report that bullying based on sexual orientation occurs often or very often in their schools. Sizable percentages of Missouri students also report that bullying occurs often or very often based on the following characteristics: gender expression (22%), ability (18%); race/ethnicity (11%), religion (6%) (Statistics are from the 2005 GLSEN report, From Teasing to Torment: A Report on School Climate in Missouri, which can be viewed in full at www.GLSEN.org). The Safe Schools act is vital-students need a safe and civil environment in order to learn and to flourish as individuals. Discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, inhibit both a student's ability to learn and the school's ability to educate its students."
Current policy simply states that schools need to have an anti-bullying policy, but cannot supersede state law, which does not list specific groups or characteristics that are most often targeted. This bill (Missouri Safe Schools Legislation 2010 HB 1751) would name targeted groups. Why is specific language needed? PROMO staff states that the inclusion of sexual orientation "kills the bill each time it is brought up." The language will ultimately help support teachers and staff when they respond to bullying based on any of the named characteristics, rather than letting it go as a cultural norm.
The proposed legislation provides protection from bullying and discrimination based on actual or perceived characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, personal appearance, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or on the basis of association with others identified by these categories. The bill will stipulate that schools have a protocol in place to address this bullying and have established procedures for reporting incidents. It will also require training to equip educators with skills to handle bullying. Safe Schools will not change the current law's definition of bullying-just give schools more tools to address it effectively.
Trinity is not being asked for funds, but to provide our public voice that we support this initiative as a congregation. Individual members are encouraged to become as involved as they want to be (speak with me in the office). There may be opportunities for group lobbying involvement as well. As a parent watching interactions on the playground, I am pleased that our Session has decided to expand the living out of our Welcoming Statement by standing up for kids who are discriminated against and harassed for whatever reason in what should be a safe environment.
The Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America is a St. Louis organizaton that for twenty-five years has been working on social and economic justice issues in Latin America. (www.ifcla.net) They are currently working with supporters in University City on an initiative that promotes local community action that can effectively limit sweatshop labor over-seas. IFCLA is working with Sweatfree Communities, a nationally-scoped program (www.sweatfree.orr) designed to promote sweatfree labor in the apparel industry, specifically by focusing on municipal purchasing. Our Session has endorsed the idea of sweatfree purchasing in University City.
The Sweatfree Community initiative is presently scheduling informal coffee meetings with individual University City council members to educate them about sweatfree municipal purchasing, gauge their interest, and ask for their support in sponsoring the initiative as an ordinance. Let the campaign know (ifcla@ifcla.net or 721-2977) if you are interested in helping in any capacity. Trinity will be the location of some of the future Sweatfree Initiative meetings, as well.
We have been partners with HUD's "Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program" for the past number of months, which provides financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those experiencing homelessness be quickly re-housed and stabilized.
Quite often, those moving from homelessness into homes have few items to bring with them. Emily Ehrhart, member Brian Jeter's wife and Rapid Re-Housing Case Manager, says that her latest batch of clients are moving into homes with "next to nothing. We greatly appreciate the generosity of the Trinity members who have donated furniture and household items thus far (kitchen items, linens, appliances, etc.) and welcome any other donations that are possible to help these residents."
Items can be brought to the room to the right of the basement food pantry or, if you have furniture that you cannot bring, please call Liz in the office or Emily to make pick-up arrangements and help make a house a home.
Introducing an alternative for children during 10:30 a.m. worship is not because we think kids do not have need to worship God, but because we understand that kids worship God in ways that are often different from adults. First, kids wiggle and kids play! In our Kid's Faith Formation, children are given permission (and even encouraged!) to wiggle and play. Children are primarily concrete learners and often learn best through exploration rather than explanation. During our time together we explore our faith together through imagination and wonder. We learn to practice our faith. As teachers, we watch for "God moments," aware that the Holy Spirit is at work in all of our lives.
God's Word plays a central role in our time together. The Bible is not an instruction book on how-to-live-moral-lives. Rather, the beauty of the Bible is its witness of God's loving relationship with us and all of creation. We aim to nurture faith in God while leaving room for the mystery of God. In his book, Helping Our Children Grow in Faith, Robert Keely says, "If I introduce children to a God who is so small I can explain everything about him, I am shortchanging the children." We want our children to be in awe of God's greatness and immersed in God's love.
If you would like to volunteer once every five weeks for this new format, please contact me at 24.dawn@gmail.com.
"This is the day the Lord has made."
These words lead me to marvel at how many days there have been in my century and how much I have to marvel at and rejoice over. My thanks to my Trinity family for celebrating my recent 100th birthday and for all the days and months I have been supported and sustained by prayers, thoughts, cards and messages from all of you.
Particular thanks to the Tuesday morning Presbyterian Women's crew of Genny Richmond and others and their unfailing messages of cheer and love, and to Corie and John Merker, Jim Person and others who helped me rejoice and celebrate on Palm Sunday.
God bless you all ~
Evelyn Patterson
Business, government, education, professional organizations, and talented people in career transition come together in the Dining Room to ensure St. Louis thrives in the emerging, post-recession economy. For the next two months we will continue hosting Bounceback gatherings: May 19th and June 16th, 9-11am. Other events happen throughout the month at different locations, some of them specific to different career paths, so check their website for details as well as other job resources: www.bouncebackstl.net
Last year we experimented with a second worship service called The Commons @ The Loop which was held on Saturday evenings. We began to offer the Commons in May and went on hiatus in November. Besides a service specially designed for the Confirmation class in December, we have not offered the service since then. Overall, I believe that the Commons was a great effort for us as we offered some truly creative worship and we learned a lot. What follows is a Q&A about the Commons-what it was, what we learned, and where we go from here.
Why did we start the Commons?
The Commons was started because some of us felt that while our current Sunday morning worship is theologically profound, creatively rich and of a high quality, it does not speak to everyone in the church and it does not connect with many folks who are not part of the church. We saw the Commons as a way to share the Gospel with folks who share Trinity's values, but need a different "language" of worship.
Why Saturday night?
We put the service on Saturday evening to appeal to folks for whom Sundays are problematic. There were some advantages to Saturday, but some disadvantages as well. The biggest disadvantage was that the Commons never really felt like a central part of Trinity's ministry and mission.
What was the service like?
The service evolved over time, but each service contained common elements. We always had communion; we always provided time for discussion and exploration; we always lingered over refreshments in a time of fellowship. We usually had live music, sometimes had movie clips, and always tried to provide a place to ask what does it mean to be a Christian in this time. The service was informal and always meaningful.
Why did we stop?
We stopped because the size of the gathered community had settled to around 10 people-many of whom were the planners of the service. In many ways the service became a big small group. This was not a bad thing to be, but the group felt that it didn't need to meet during the week in order to plan a service that was mostly populated by the planners (there were some regular attendees who were not part of the planning team, but not many).
So was it a failure?
By no means! The faithful gathering for worship is never a failure. Worship at the Commons was meaningful to those who attended and we learned a lot about how difficult it is to plan and execute a new worship offering.
What did we learn?
We learned that whenever we start a new worship service we need to ask some important questions:
Are we going to restart the Commons?
No, at this time, the planning team has not plans to revive the Commons. If a second service happens, it will be a new effort.
When are we going to have a new service at Trinity?
I do not see it happening in the near term. The service that I have in mind would be a service that focuses on growth and thus would take a new infusion of cash. The Session has decided that given our current financial constraints, this is not the best use of financial resources. But the opportunity still remains and I invite everyone to be in prayerful discernment about when the time is right to try again.
Everyone who receives the Trinity News in the mail has or will be receiving a call from member Don Twellman, who is helping me with a project a long time in the making. He will ask you if you are willing to receive this newsletter in email form (right now as a .pdf, but that may change over time as we explore digital options). Don't fear! If you don't have email or hate reading things on the computer, we will still produce a paper copy. This change to a more digital approach will help save paper, ink, time, and postage. Please call the office (314) 725-3840 or email: tpcucity@swbell.net with your preference or wait to respond to Don's call.