On Monday, Sept. 27, I invite you to attend dinner and worship atWebster Groves Christian Church as the America Guild of Organists starts its program year. There will be choirs, handbells, harp, brass and organ during the 7:30pm service.
Please RSVP to me (drwewade@gmail.com) if you would like to attend the $10 dinner at 6:30pm that evening.
I couldn't have done it without you, Genny.
For the past 3 years, Genny has faithfully come to the office--rain or shine-- to stuff the bulletins for Sunday worship. Always perfectly coiffed after her weekly hair appointments, she enquires about the health of the congregation for her PW prayer list, regales me with stories of the Kingshighway years, and chastises me and others as needed. With her impending move and the extra walking due to construction, she's ready to turn the reigns over to Don Twellman.
Thanks, Genny and ditto, Don!
Click here to see pictures from the August 28-29 Mound Ridge Retreat
This year is Mound Ridge Camp and Retreat Center's 60thAnniversary! We're very proud to have been in operation for these 60 years and we look forward to many, many more! To celebrate this anniversary they will be hosting a dinner and live auction to help keep our beautiful facility running as smoothly as possible. The dinner will be held on Friday, October 22, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood, Missouri. The evening will include an auction, great food, live entertainment, and a drawing for the beautiful quilt that was hand-quilted and graciously donated by the Women's Quilting Group of Dardenne Presbyterian Church. The hospitality hour begins at 6:00pm followed by dinner at 7:00pm.
Tickets for the event must be purchased by October 15 and can be bought by calling the Mound Ridge Camp and Retreat Center office at 573-265-3098 or by e-mailing moundridge@glpby.org. Ticket prices are $240.00 for a table of 8 or $30.00 for an individual ticket. Tickets for the quilt drawing will be on sale at the event for $1.00 each or six for $5.00.
Saturday, September 11 at 7:00pm international artists Michael Lich (classical guitar/banjo) and Cale Hoeflicker, (classical guitar) will perform a riveting and diverse concert program of classical, Spanish, and world music.
The concert will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church located at 2030 Union Road (intersection of Union Rd and Reavis Barracks Rd), St. Louis, MO. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted. For more information regarding this event please contact Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at (314) 544-3737, or visit http://www.htlutheran.org.
- We will have a special commissioning for children and parents at the very beginning of the worship service. Please meet in the Narthex at 10:20. We will process into the sanctuary, first children, then teachers, and then parents. There will be a time of prayer and then you are welcome to be seated with the rest of the congregation.
- Sixth through 12th graders are invited to meet at 9:30am in the youth lounge where we will head over to Bread Co. for breakfast and devotions.
- Children, preschool through 5th grade, will celebrate this day with an engaging time, beginning worship with parents and then heading downstairs for Spiritual Formation (and donuts!).
- Everyone is invited to the Church Picnic.
- Scripture - Luke 14:1, 7-14
- Sermon - Dining With Jesus Could Give You Indigestion
- Preacher: Diane O'Brien. Diane is a member of Trinity who has studied at Eden Seminary for a number of years.
- Music in Worship - Guest Soloist Caetlyn VanBuren will sing "Bist du bei mir" by J.S. Bach and Max Tenney will be our guest organist.
- Also in Worship - Trinity will be worshiping in two locations this Sunday: at the church in U City and those on the retreat will be worshiping at Mound Ridge.
The Independence Center, where I work (4245 Forest Park Ave.; 314-880-5484), is hosting a fashion show fundraiser in our Resale Shop this Sunday from 1-3:00! (Table of 4/$20; 8/$18.)
Just wondered if any of you might like to join me on Sunday afternoon for this fun event - Good music with Mae Wheeler and friends, and good shopping with members and staff as models. You can also go to our website to purchase tickets.
People can vote online every day until Sept. 20 (One time per email address, but every hour if you say you are more than 13 years old).
It never fails - the loaves and fishes truly do multiply as demonstrated August 22nd at our Cool Potluck. Around 50 folks stayed after church service to enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods. Contrary to expectations, there were not 20 plates of brownies. How Cool was that!?!Thanks to all who pitched in to help and contribute. A special thanks to Deanna Benjamin and LeRoy Lottmann, dishwashers extraordinaire.Let's think about an encore performance once construction is finished to enjoy good fellowship in our like-new digs!
Rehearsals will start Thursday, September 2. Bill has openings for 2 new ringers. The commitment is Thursdays from 5:30 PM until 6:45 PM. The only prerequisite is willingness to join a friendly, helpful, fun group of people who enjoy ringing bells. No experience required. Speak with Dr. Bill Wade.
- Scripture - Luke 6:27-38
- Sermon - Growth Is a Choice: You Can Only Keep What You Give Away
- Preacher: Dr. Dan Anderson-Little
- Also in Worship - Baptism of Hunter Christopher Verch, son of Chris & Valerie Verch
Friday, September 17th - 7:15pm
Want to meet at the "old ball game"?
I (stacyshupe@gmail.com) need to know by Thursday, Aug. 26th and need a minimum of 25 people in order to buy at the group rate.
Outfield terrace @ $12 each.
In 1996, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) changed its constitution to officially bar gay and lesbian persons who were in a committed relationship from serving in any ordained capacity (minister, elder or deacon). In response to the constitutional change, a group of Presbyterians around the country got together and formed a group called the Covenant Network of Presbyterians to try to overturn that portion of the constitution. Those early organizers assumed that they would work for one year, help make the change they sought and disband. Fourteen years later, the group is still in existence and there is still much work to do. Since that time, there have been numerous attempts to overturn that portion of the church's constitution, and each time the vote has been close, but it has not yet been overturned. There is some good news in all of this. First, over the past four years, our denomination has placed the final authority for readiness for ordination in the hands of presbyteries. This means that if a person says that they cannot live in compliance with the part of the constitution that says that officers must be live in fidelity in (heterosexual) marriage or chastity in singleness, a presbytery can decide if that person can still be ordained. This change of the past four years has meant that some openly gay and lesbian persons have been ordained within the rules of the church. The other piece of good news in the this whole journey is that the Covenant Network of Presbyterians is still around and still doing excellent advocacy work so that all persons who are called to ordained ministry can serve.
This past May, I was elected to a second term as a trustee for the Covenant Network (my first term was from 2005-2008). The Board meets three or four times a year and plans strategy for its advocacy work and education for the whole church, The Board is comprised of ministers and elders from around the country, from small churches and big churches. Each Fall, the Covenant Network holds a national conference. This year's conference Celebrating the Whole Household of God will be held in Houston, Nov. 4 - 6. If you are interested in attending please speak with me.
- If you are paying for both pledges at the same time (weekly, monthly), you can combine the payments into one check. Just indicate on the memo line how much goes towards your regular pledge and how much to the R&R capital campaign.
- If you send your check to Trinity directly from your bank, please make sure it is noted on the memo line what the payment is for. We don't want to have to guess whether it is for your regular tithe or the capital campaign.
- You can combine payments and submit it in your offering envelope if you want. Just make a notation on your check and on the envelope so the counters will notice.
Written jointly by the members of the Wild With Words writing group at Trinity in response to Rev. Julie March's sermon "A Cry for Help" on July 11, 2010...
God, deliver me from my
wretchedness.
See your small, stormy
daughter
and part the clouds
with your sunshine.
I am a selfish
tornado, turning in
on myself over and over
in ever-turning circles
destruction
of so much in
my wake.
You are powerful - Why do you not
reach out and calm
the torrent?
Have mercy on me
On all your
lost and frightened babes.
Your creation is
wrought with
calamity.
How
can you allow
your faithful servants
to be paralyzed?
I can not stand,
much less stand
for right.
I need you to
mobilize me, empower
me, lead me into
loving, compassionate
fiery activism.
Save the poor
Save the stupid
Save the young
Save the old
Save the soldiers
Save the nations
Save the animals
on land, in sea and air
Save the bankers
and save all their victims
Save the criminals
Save the politicians
Save us from
short-sightedness and fear
of failure.
Create within
the entire mass of
your creation
a clean heart
and renew our
spirits and
our
collective human spirit.
Where is your love?
We can not share it.
Where is your love?
We want to share it.
Show us how
Restore unto us the
Joy of your salvation.
While in seminary, I started volunteering with a non-profit, community development organization called Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT). A major part of my seminary experience has been my involvement in CHAT. I started volunteering by tutoring inner-city children who are several grade levels behind in their studies. Most of these children are part of one-parent households. They grow up in dangerous neighborhoods where they are exposed to violence, drugs and crime at very young ages. Through CHAT, however, they are offered caring attention, positive interaction, tutoring, church activities, life-skill classes, and a summer day camp to counter the negative influences around them.
I am working primarily with the private school that was started three years ago, Church Hill Academy (CHA) which serves the community of Church Hill in Richmond, Virginia. We are a private, Christian faith-based, nonprofit high school and part of CHAT. We are formerly beginning our accreditation process this school year.
- We offer classes to youth needing to complete 9-12th grade. Our ratio is 3 students to every 1 staff person.
- Our top priority is meeting the academic needs of at-risk 9-12th grade youth living in Church Hill. This past spring we graduated three students who met Virginia's requirements for a standard diploma. Two have been accepted at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College; one is continuing to work with CHA staff this fall before applying to community college.
- Scripture reading, prayer and worship are a part of our school schedule, but students are not required to be or become Christians.
- Our two main goals are:
- To develop each student academically, beginning with their actual academic skill levels
- To develop each student's character (for example: work ethic, spiritual understanding, anger management).
Despite the great distance between University City and Church Hill, there are many ways that my family at Trinity can support me.
Pray about becoming a partner with me in this ministry by committing to pray for me, become a financial partner, ask others to pray for me and the ministry of CHAT, ask your B & B to pray and/or financially support my ministry.
We do not receive any federal funds and each staff member raises part of the budget. I am responsible for $20,000 and so far have raised around $9,000. If you feel called to support my ministry with CHAT, checks can be written out to CHAT with my name (Rhonda Dunbar) in the memo. Checks can be mailed to:
CHAT
601 N. 31st Street
Richmond, VA 23223.
If you want to find out more information concerning CHAT, let me know at rhondadunbar@gmail.com or check out the website at http://www.chatrichmond.org.
Thank you!
The Festival Choir is an occasional choir at Trinity which sings in worship several times a year for special days, holidays, festival days, etc.
This Labor Day the Festival Choir will have an opportunity to sing an easy (and catchy!) anthem. If you want to sing, please join us for rehearsal from 8:30-9:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 2nd and/or on Sunday morning September 5th at 9:40 a.m.
Don't miss this FUN opportunity! If you know you'll sing, a "heads up" would be helpful, so I know how many to plan for, but even if you don't decide until last minute, please feel free to join us. Email choir director Vicki Carmichael to participate or for more information: vcarmichael44@gmail.com
Work on the bell tower begins Monday, Aug, 23rd and will block access to the upper Kingsland Ave. entrance and the landing right outside the sanctuary door.
On weekdays, people wanting to come to the office will need to enter at the northernmost Kingsland Ave. door (around the corner from the main staircase) and walk through the sanctuary and the choir room. The lower, center Kingsland Ave. door will be open for access to the basement, but the inside stairwell cannot be used. Once elevator demolition begins September 27, no one will be able to enter those two middle Kingsland Ave. doors.
Stay tuned for more details and look for signs. Our construction timeline will be posted soon.
Trinity is spearheading an effort to create a coalition of religious communities in U City to find volunteers to work in U City High School. We need:
- tutors
- mentors
- hallway monitors
If you are interested in learning more or in signing up, please contact Dan Anderson-Little (dan_tpc@swbell.net).
The Rev. Julie March will be concluding her ministry at Trinity this Fall after four years of service. Plans to celebrate Julie's ministry at Trinity are still being finalized, but here are two important dates to hold:
- Sunday, September 26 - this will be Julie's final sermon at Trinity
- Sunday, October 3 - Julie will help lead worship and will preside as we celebrate World Communion Sunday. We will have a lunch in Julie's honor after worship. All are invited!
Classes start September 12 in the Chapel.
- A new confession of faith
- Wisdom stories
- Embracing an adult faith
- Essence of prayer
- Marriage
Trinity member Shanthi Philips is in Lesotho with the Peace Corps. Read her latest blog entry...
Civil unions and marriage.... Middle East peacemaking... Ordination standards... Change in form of government...
The 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) met in Minneapolis last month. Read details of the decisions...
- Scripture - Luke 13:10-17
- Sermon - Growth Is a Choice: It's About Healing
- Preacher: Dr. Dan Anderson-Little
- Also in Worship - Commissioning of Trinity member George Philips to the PC(USA) Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI)
Meet in the youth lounge at 9:30am sharp on Sunday, September 12th. We will walk over to St. Louis Bread Co. for breakfast and devotions and then will sit together in Worship.
Saturday, September 18th - 5:30-7:00pm
We invite all families with young children (infant through 6th grade) to this special event. We will have pizza, informal fellowship, and games for parents and children to participate in together. We will also learn a song together! Families with older children are very welcome to attend this event (please realize the games will be geared for younger children but we'd still love to have you!).
Thanks to everyone who participated. We could not have had the event without you! And a special thank you to the people who helped organize and execute the event including: Liz Nelson, organizer extraordinaire; Dave Nelson, Jim Person, and Cheryl Evans, les trois gourmands; Evan Reid, Master of Ceremonies; Cathy and Bill Smith, for reviewing the questions, scoring and selling raffle tickets; Dawn Fleishman, for providing quality childcare; Don Twellman, for drumming up donations; and Stacy Shupe, for helping coordinate the assembly of the kits. It was a great event and we hope to do it again next year!
Dave
- Do you like the choral music you hear in worship at Trinity?
- Do you take it for granted that the Trinity choir will lead important portions of your worship experience?
- Do you SING? At all? Not even in the shower?
- Maybe you sang in a high school choir and haven't "kept up" with your voice . . .
- Maybe you love to sing hymns on Sunday mornings and you bellow with the radio in your car, but feel that your voice isn't "good enough" to join the choir . . .
- Maybe you have a fantastic talent and the desire to sing, but worry that you are too busy . . .
Whatever your reasons for not singing with the Trinity Choir, if you have ever had a desire to join us NOW IS THE TIME! With the loss of funding for our section leaders in 2009, the loss of two of our singers to a move in 2008 and now the loss of 3 of our Wash U student singers who have moved on to other "gigs" the Trinity Choir NEEDS YOU. We are especially in need of a high tenor and a few sopranos, but would love to have altos and basses, too.
- Don't know what voice part you sing? No problem! Set up an appointment with Choir Director Vicki Carmichael and she'll help you figure out where you belong.
- Don't know if you'll like it/have the time? Give us try for the season. You won't know if you don't show!
- Don't like the music? As a choir member, you have ample opportunity to provide input or make suggestions.
It's time for individuals and families to register for a weekend of fun and fellowship. Forms are in the Narthex (or click here for a printable form) and are due by Sunday Aug. 22. We still need organizers-talk with Dawn or Liz to make it a great weekend.
Save the date for our First Annual Trivia Night for Education! Saturday, August 7th @ Trinity. 5:30pm. We'll provide the food; you provide donated items for school kits for Haiti children and donations for our local fund to help subsidize the cost of paper and xeroxes for our Trinity public school teachers (more details to come). Who do you want sitting at your table? There will be questions across the generations (3rd grade and up) so invite your friends, cajole your pew mates, talk to your kids (or someone else's!) and sharpen your knowledge while helping kids locally and internationally. Coordinator: Lynn Reid
If you are not able to attend Trivia night, but want to donate items for school kits, we prefer that you bring a complete kit, rather than multiples of one item, as we want to make sure we can complete as many kits as possible. The items are listed on the trivia flier in the Narthex. Items can be brought to the office before Saturday Aug. 7th.
Haiti School Kit:
1 - pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)
3 - 70-count spiral notebooks or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10 1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper. Do not include filler paper.
1 - 30-centimeter ruler (12")
1 - hand-held pencil sharpener
6 - new pencils with erasers
1 - large eraser
1 - box of 24 crayons
Hello Trinity Friends,
Next weekend I will be hosting a cardmaking party at Trinity as part of the "... for Growth" series. It's a time for our congregation to expand old friendships and develop new ones. I hope you can join us for this cardmaking party!
We will be making 8 cards: 4 Birthday (one kid, one 'feminine', one 'masculine', one more 'neutral'), 2 Sympathy, 1 Thank You and 1 Christmas. The cost is $25 and includes all the materials to make the cards and their respective envelopes. We will be led by Rita Parker, a leader with StampinUp - she will provide the basic designs, stamps, accessories, etc, plus help for those who may not feel as artistically inclined :)
The party will be start at 2pm in the Chapel at Trinity. I will be providing light snacks and drinks.
If you could RSVP to me (caroline.muegge@gmail.com) by Wednesday (end of day) Aug 4th, that would be appreciated, so the right amount of materials can be prepared.
Feel free to forward this email to any interested friends.
I hope to see you next Sunday afternoon!
Carrie
...so we have more slots for interested volunteers. There are two openings on each of Saturday, August 7, 14, 21, and October 2. Email Pat Gibbons at pcg@wuphys.wustl.edu or sign up in the Narthex.
Starting next week, the periodic "all-church" email reminders/invitations and the monthly Trinity News that many of you receive via email will be replaced with a more timely weekly e-newsletter (the Trinit-E-News). You will receive this on Wednesdays. If you indicated wanting a paper copy of the monthly Trinity News, you will still receive a modified version of that in the mail.
If you are not able to attend Trivia night, but want to donate items for school kits, we prefer that you bring a complete kit, rather than multiples of one item, as we want to make sure we can complete as many kits as possible. The items are listed on the trivia flier in the Narthex. Items can be brought to the office before Saturday Aug. 7th.
Haiti School Kit:
1 - pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)
3 - 70-count spiral notebooks or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10 1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper. Do not include filler paper.
1 - 30-centimeter ruler (12")
1 - hand-held pencil sharpener
6 - new pencils with erasers
1 - large eraser
1 - box of 24 crayons
...and you are welcome to join. Mondays, August 2-16, 9:30am. The group will meet at Lois Eason's home. Contact Julie (725-3840) if you are interested.
