Welcome to the web edition of the Trinity Presbyterian Church annual report for the year 2003.

The web version of this report does not include financial information. Please contact the church office for the full print version of this report.

2003 was a rich and busy year for all of us at Trinity. As we celebrated 50 years of ministry, we continued to live out the legacy of our forbearers: to discover new ways to reach out to the world with the saving love of Jesus Christ and to involve and engage all members of Trinity Presbyterian Church. I am particularly struck by how many of the profound ministries that we undertook this year were initiated and led by committed and spiritually excited members. Some of these ministries include:

• Our 50^th Anniversary Celebration and all of its various events (street fair, weaving, melodrama, Homecoming)
• Our second Habitat for Humanity build
• The production of a promotional video about Trinity
• The Shower of Stoles
• The Faith Exploration in October using the Covenant Network's Call to Covenant Community.
• The ongoing growth of the Food Pantry
• The expansion of the Advent Bags ministry

I am also excited how our worship service continues to expand and grow as we seek new expressions of our ancient faith. In addition to hymns and anthems that have been our worship foundation for so many years, we are, in the words of the Psalmist, learning to sing new songs to the Lord (Ps. 98) - songs from Africa, songs from our nation's jazz tradition, folk songs, and the list goes on and on. Throughout its history, Trinity has a vital music tradition and in 2003 we continued to build on that foundation.

In 2003 I initiated a new approach to officer training called DNA: Disciples 'N' Apostles. This course was required of all new officers and offered to all members of the congregation. In addition to our ten new officers, six members took the class. While still a work in progress, the DNA class was a wonderful experience of learning about our faith and giving expression to it. I am especially excited about the conversations about spiritual gifts that are a result of the class - I sense new and renewed energy for ministry in each participant. I will continue to develop the DNA class and offer it again for members and new officers in the church.

One final note about 2003: The busyness of the year was greatly added to by my family's decision to move to South County. We arrived at this decision after much thought and prayer and, so far, the move has been a great one. It does mean a longer commute for me, but not for our kids going to school. It also puts all of our children on the same school schedule which has been a real benefit to us. Additionally, we have moved into a neighborhood with lots of children, so our kids are never lacking for playmates. Like all moves, this one was stressful, and I had the added anxiety of how the distance might affect my ministry at Trinity. Through your prayers, help, and support, we got through the move in great shape and are discovering that the distance is not a big factor in my connection to this congregation. Thanks to all of you for helping us make this important transition.

I now want to share some of my hopes and dreams for the coming year. The two big themes that I will stress over and over in 2004 are spiritual gifts and teams. Spiritual gifts are special abilities, aptitudes, or inclinations that God gives every one of us in order to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. When we serve and lead out of our giftedness, not only do we find fulfillment, but we can more effectively minister to others. It is my hope that by the end of the year, a large percentage of the congregation will have identified their spiritual gifts and is finding ways to put them into action. Which leads to my second theme: teams. When Jesus sent his disciples into the world to minister in his name, he never sent them out alone. Why? Because none of us possesses a full complement of spiritual gifts and alone we tend to burn out. However, in a team, we can do things that we could never accomplish alone. Trinity already has a number of teams - our commissions, the Board of Deacons, the choirs, etc. But we have more gifts and passions for ministry than our commissions can organize and implement. So throughout the year, we will form new teams - some will exist only for a season (like the team that oversaw the Habitat build) and some will have a longer life. The Session will work hard this year to coordinate our various ministries and to keep you up to date on who is doing what.

Another growing ministry in 2004 will be our small groups. Over the past year, two small groups have been meeting - our pilot group and one that formed out of a Tuesday evening Bible study. The pilot group has completed their work and are now starting to give birth to new groups. The Tuesday evening group is continuing to meet. And at least two more groups are ready to start. Watch for details as we continue to provide ways for members to form meaningful relationships and grow spiritually.

A couple of weeks ago, a member asked me where I saw all this going - an emphasis on spiritual gifts, teams, and the other directions of our ministry. In one sense I cannot answer that question because I know and trust that God will lead us where God wants us to be. Ministries will emerge and flourish as we identify our spiritual gifts and form teams and grow spiritually. But I do carry this vision for our future: that Trinity will be a place where all are welcomed, nurtured spiritually, equipped for ministry and sent forth to share the love of Jesus Christ. We will be transformed so that we might transform the world. God has called the church into being so that we might change the world - and I believe that Trinity's calling is nothing less than this. How we do it will change as gifts are added to our community of faith; but sharing the love of God and inviting people into a relationship with Jesus Christ will be at the heart of our ministry.

One final word: I want to express my profound appreciation to the staff of Trinity. I am blessed to work with such faithful persons who bring their best to our ministry and who are committed to their own spiritual growth. I encourage all members to express their appreciation to Paul Vasile, Janet Mote, Karon Bilbrey, Birty Hodgson and Linde Baechle - they are a real blessing to all of us.

Respectfully submitted
Dan Anderson-Little

This year, we have shared musical experiences of incredible variety and depth. Our hearts have been inspired, our imaginations have been sparked, our minds have been challenged and our Presbyterian limbs have even started to move! Here are some highlights from 2003:

• Frequent opportunities for the congregation to sing, speak and chant the Psalms, to learn new hymns and responses, and to share more fully in worship leadership.
• A unique, five-week Adult Education Class focusing on the pipe organ's ability to make powerful and compelling spiritual statements.
• Vibrant summer worship, including a service led by folk singer, Steve Eulberg, that featured the diverse talents of members and friends of this congregation.
• The St. Louis Stomper's Dixieland Jazz Band, who raised the roof at our Mardi Gras service in March and on Rally Day in September.
• A joyous World Communion celebration, featuring sacred choral music from Africa, as well as singers, drummers and dancers from the St. Louis African Chorus.
• Meaningful opportunities for our children to lead us in worship, including an amazing show of vocal and instrumental talent at our Christmas Eve family service.
• Consistently beautiful and diverse choral music sung by the Trinity Choir, Festival Choir and our soloists.
• A Handbell Exploration Workshop, which gave individuals with no prior experience an opportunity to learn how to ring.
• Continued connection to the local community. A number of performing groups offered concerts in our Sanctuary; even more are slated for the upcoming year.
• For the second year in a row, a Psalm 150 Fund offering that totaled over $$$

I am grateful to God for the amazing gift of music, for the dedicated singers and instrumentalists who bring it to us each week, and for the resources that have helped our ministry to grow. It is my deepest hope that Trinity's music ministry will continue to provide opportunities for all of us to meaningfully express our faith - to be drawn closer to the God who, in the words of the prophet Zephaniah, "rejoices over [us] with loud singing."

In Christ's service,
Paul M. Vasile
Minister of Music

This has been a year of searching and listening to how God is calling us and leading us into the future. I feel that we have a solid foundation of Christian Education programs on which to keep building. This fall I entered my sixth program year at Trinity and it has been wonderful to see how God has been working in and among us.

It brings me such joy to walk in the Nursery and see the youngest of God's children in the loving arms of such wonderful volunteers under the supervision of Becca Courtney. Our preschoolers are making connections with each other and their teachers as they start their exploration of Bible stories and of living and playing in a community of faith together. As we entered our third year of "God's Creation" it is wonderful to see involvement of so many different adults and the excitement on the children's faces each week. Worship School continues to offer an alternative worship place for our younger elementary children as they add to their experience of what is going on in worship and in Sunday school. It has been neat to watch the 5^th & 6^th graders as they transition and dig a little deeper into Old & New testaments and make more personal the stories they heard as a younger child. The addition of the children's fellowship for 1^st -6^th graders this year has done tremendous good and deepened the children's sense of community with each other. Vacation Bible School is always a fun learning and faith exploration time with the children and this was our second year to add a 5^th-7^th grade retreat weekend to Vacation Bible School. The two year confirmation class has blossomed as our 7^th & 8^th graders enter a time of searching, questioning, learning, and really sifting through things to enter a point where they can truly call their faith their own! Senior High youth grow in faith as they integrate mission into their lives through mission trips and learn to negotiate through the ups and downs of faith as they grow into adulthood.

I thank each one of you who support the ministry of Christian Education whether through prayer or through teaching. We are blessed to have such a solid foundation for our children and youth.

There have been more opportunities for the adults of the church to engage in their faith through discussion and sharing in small groups and through classes like the spiritual gifts and DNA classes. I am pleased that there is a team working on different offerings for Adult Education to make that a more engaging time of learning and sharing for our adults

I invite each of you to join me in discerning how God is calling us and in which direction God is leading us as a church. To take steps to equip all of us to better talk about and share our faith - to tell our stories, to explore new directions in our worship and fellowship life together and to make all that we do more accessible to those who are present. I look forward to the coming year in ministry as we take the foundation we have and together as a community of God explore what ways we are being called and what ways we are being led!

Peace of Christ,
Janet Mote
Director of Christian Education

I would like to thank John Roman, chair of the Facilities Commission for all of his hard work and faithful service to Trinity Presbyterian Church in 2003. I would also like to thank Birty Hodgson, Karen Hodgson, and Linde Baechle for their hard work and dedication.

There have been many major projects completed in 2003.

• The steps on the Washington Avenue side of the building were waterproofed.
• The scrim in the Sanctuary was replaced.
• The 23 windows on the Kingsland side of the building were repaired.

Plans for 2004 include a new sound system installed in the sanctuary in the next couple of months. The hallway upstairs will be painted. The facilities commission is discussing the renovation of the restrooms at the lower Washington side of the building.

I look forward to the coming year and would encourage each of you to call the office if you have questions, concerns, ideas or suggestions as we strive to serve God together.

Respectfully submitted,
Karon Bilbrey
Church Administrator

Overview and Members

The Commission, Karen and Darryl Mayberry, Stacy Carman, Michelle Devine, and Susan Rava, began the year under the chairmanship of Jenni Holt. After she moved out-of-town, Norma Vavra took over. Janet Mote was a wonderful leader with her vision and organizational skills to see that the plans became realities. The work of the Christian Education Commission in staffing the Nursery, Church School, and Worship School is extremely volunteer-intensive. Literally scores of adults are needed to fill all the slots as the term of service for each volunteer is relatively brief. Without all these dedicated teachers the program could not happen. For all these persons, the Commission is appreciative and truly in debt.

Church School

The rotation model curriculum (pre-kindergarten through fourth grade) is in its third year. Adults and children alike find it engaging in the God's Creation setting. Fifth and sixth graders did Bible Survey while the Merritt's, Kim and Mark, continued leadership for the two year long confirmation Class. On May 18 Tyler Nutter, Maggie Schoeberlein, and Kari Peglar were confirmed.

Youth

Six senior highs and three adults made a summer Mission Trip to Charleston, SC. where they worked with Crisis Ministries and Habitat for Humanity. Their trip was highlighted in a Sunday worship service and in a special Mission Trip publication. Trinity members supported the trip by buying "Miles Toward Mission". In turn the senior highs completed hours in service projects.

Adult Education

Most Sundays two classes were available. Dr. Daniel Anderson-Little often led one with various lay persons the other. In the fall a new Adult Education Planning Team was formed to work on plans for 2004. Led by Tina Newberry, the group includes Linda Anderson-Little, Sean Mote, and George Philips.

Special Activities

In an effort to build friendships among our elementary students who live in widely disparate neighborhoods, a new Sunday afternoon fellowship was held occasionally for such bonds to be forged. Michelle Devine spearheaded this activity with both the concept and the follow-through.

A fun-filled Vacation Bible School, Lighthouse Kids, was held June 23-27. Stacy Carman was director with many supporting volunteer staff as well as Janet Mote, Paul Vasile, and Daniel Anderson-Little. Preceding this week the 5th, 6th, and 7th graders had a weekend retreat with Tina Newberry.

The annual spring picnic was enlarged this year, on June 8, into a Pentecost celebration on Washington Ave. with music, fun activities, and food. This was the kick-off for the 50th anniversary year celebration of Trinity. The activities drew in some Trinity neighbors.

Rally Day September 7 was also a memorable celebration. The St. Louis Stompers led the way into the Dining Room with their infectious music where lunch was enjoyed.

Parent Involvement

Home worship materials for families to use during Lent were provided in kits prepared by Janet Mote as well as an Advent kit. At the Hanging of the Greens December 7 parents helped their children with decorations in the Assembly Room.

The Christian Education Commission thanks again the legion of volunteers who make the program(s) possible.

Respectfully submitted,
Norma Vavra, Chair
Christian Education Commission

Local and national outreach programs remain a prominent part of the ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church. The Church and Community Commission ministers to those in need of financial and volunteer help throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. The members of the Commission in 2003 were Pat Gibbons, Harold Glad, chair, Jerry Royce, and Kirk Swearingen.

Agency Allocations

As it has done each year, the Commission considered local organizations and service agencies that we thought might benefit from financial support from Trinity. In addition, we had a special concern for those agencies in which Trinity members are directly involved; this year there were ten such agencies. Allocation recommendations were taken to the Session for approval. A full financial statement for the year is attached. Allocations made in 2000-2002 are included for comparison. As was the case in the past two years, the food pantry did not have a budget surplus from donations; consequently the work of the pantry required additional funding from the Commission. Therefore, some agencies that we supported in the past were not supported this year.

Agencies or organizations supported in 2003 included Beyond Housing, Care and Counseling, Covenant Network, CSC Charities for Children, Doorways, Father Dunne's Newsboys' Home, Genesis House, Midland House, Mound Ridge Camp, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Oasis "Person to Person," RAVEN (Rape and Violence End Now), the Janet Horner Fund of the First Presbyterian Church of University City (providing utility assistance to those in need), the Women's Safe House, University City Medical Transportation, and the University City Residential Service.

Within the church, the Commission also supported the Alternative Gift Market, the Senior High Mission Trip, the Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund, and the Winger Food Pantry. Special thanks are extended to Sandy Norkaitis for her dynamic leadership as she coordinated the efforts of her crew of volunteers who have shopped, sorted, bagged, and distributed food to 1473 clients this year. The volunteers who bagged food for distribution on Wednesdays were Joanne Roman. Emily Kelton, Lynne Beck, Kitty Underwood, Polly Brown, Joy Magisana, Larry, Tina, Joanna & Isaac Newberry, Mary Ellen Campbell, Christy Thompson, Andrea Royce, Michele Devine, grades 1-6 of the Sunday School, Norma Vavra, Wally Klein & Linda Min. The shoppers who purchased food to keep the pantry shelves well stocked were Jane Gibbons, Stacy Carman, Robyn Peglar and Jim Person. With dedicated assistance from Birty Hodgson, food was distributed every Wednesday from 1-4 PM by one or more of the following: Sally Dunn, Harold Glad, Roberta Middelkamp, Sandy Norkaitis & Jerry Royce. The biggest day for food distribution was November 19, when we gave away 62 turkeys, turkey breasts, and chickens in addition to regular bagged food. The Winger Food Pantry also benefited from the receipt of 210 cases of food from the Boy Scouts' Food Drive. From November through March, this food was picked up at the St. Louis Food Bank by Stacy Carman, Jane Gibbons, Harold Glad & Sandy Norkaitis. In April, the food pantry received 3500 personal care items from the Girl Scout April Showers Drive. (Trinity was one of the drop-off sites for the drive.) We also thank the faithful members of the congregation who bring their Meal-a-Month donation; Spirit Sorensen & Charlotte Landrum, who bring food several times a year from the food drives at Southview

School; and the financial donations that are received by the food pantry throughout the year. In early May the Winger Food Pantry was inspected by the St. Louis Area Food Bank, and we were found to be doing everything in compliance with their regulations.

As in previous years, members of the Commission and the office staff are also producing the annual "A Church in Mission" booklet, detailing the agencies and organizations funded by Trinity and the many volunteer opportunities that are available. The office staff will inform the congregation when the booklet is available.

Regarding the Peacemaking facet of the Commission it was agreed that most of our funding should be utilized for the International Institute's Bantu People Relocation Project. A small number of the Bantu have already arrived in St. Louis, and many more are expected in the near future. In addition, a gift of $$$ was given to Sylvia (Syl) Huning, former Trinity member, to support her role in the "Patch Adams Healing Tour" to Russia in November.

Trinity certainly is an "A Church in Mission" and I am pleased to be part of the effort!

Respectfully submitted,
Harold Glad, Chair

Trinity Presbyterian Church, Church & Community/Peacemaking Commission, 2003 Italic type = new for 2003
Organization	2003 prop.	2003 alloc.	2002 alloc.	2001 alloc.	2000 alloc.
Beyond Housing	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Care and Counseling	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Covenant Network	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
CSC Charities for Children	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Doorways	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Father Dunne's Newsboys' Home	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Flynn Park Friendship Enrichment	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Genesis House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Gibson Heights Summer Program	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Greeley Community Center	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Interfaith Partnership	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Lydia's House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Matthew 25 Fund	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Midland House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Mound Ridge Camp	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
OASIS "Person-to-Person"	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Our Little Haven	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Presbyterian Children's Services	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Prison Fellowship	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
RAVEN	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Room at the Inn	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Senior High Mission Trip	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund*	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
St. Martha's Hall	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
St. Patrick's Center (Mobile Outreach)	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Trinity Alternative Gift Market	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
University City Medical Transportation	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
University City Residential Service	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Utility Assistance (First Presb. Of UCity)	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Winger Food Pantry	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Winger Food Pantry Special Projects	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Women's Safe House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Youth Emergency Service	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Lauren Herring, Catano, Puerto Rico#	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Boeuff Presbyterian Church, Gerald, MO#	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Kerala Ecumenical Prayer Group#	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
TOTAL FUNDS ALLOCATED	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
C & C Approved Budget	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Extra funds received from Session	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Total funds available	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$

*Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund was split in 2001, with half going to utility assistance provided through First Presbyterian Church of University City.

#One-time gift.

The Corporate Affairs Commission is expected to provide ongoing financial, budgetary, investment and general corporate guidance to the Session. The members this year were Keith Fischer, Chairperson; Joanne Roman, Church Treasurer; Jennifer Courtney, John Merker, and Mary Nielsen. The following is a summary of the Commission's activities during fiscal year 2003.

The Commission developed a Budget for the church for the Fiscal year 2004. Our 2004 budget reflects an overall operating increase of $$$ or 11% over the budget of 2003. There are raises of approximately 3.5% for professional and non-professional employees included in this. The most significant increase, however, is in the line items "General Operating Expenses" and "Repairs and Maintenance." These two items have increased a total of $$$ to more accurately reflect facility needs for 2004 and the actual operating expenses incurred in 2003. Mission Giving increased $$$ to $$$.

To fund the total projected budget of $$$, we are counting upon the following sources of revenue:

Sale of the Apartment Fund contribution: $$$

Loose Offering/ Non-Pledge income: $$$

Endowment Contribution: $$$

Interest from Investments: $$$

Building use fees: $$$

Other Sources of Revenue (gifts) $$$

Pledges $$$

As of 1/5/04, $$$ has been pledged by 117 units. If total pledges do not come up to the budgeted amount, funds from an anonymous bequest made in 2002 and designated to be used for the operating expenses of the church will be used to re-balance the budget.

The 2003 budget fell approximately $$$ short of actual expenses. This was due to a combination of a marked rise in insurance payments for the building and a shortfall in pledges. The deficit will be made up from the anonymous gift made in 2002.

Other accomplishments in 2003 worthy of mention include:

1. The "One Great Hour of Sharing" offering raised $$$, which was the largest amount in recent memory.
2. The Corporate Affairs Commission funded an overview of financial practices of the Church as required by the "Book of Order". This had not been performed since 1998. Rubin, Brown, Gornstein performed the review.

The Corporate Affairs Commission wants to extend special thanks to Ms. Linde Bachele, our Financial Secretary, who does a superb job in keeping up with the finances of our Church. The Commission also recognizes Ms. Karon Bilbrey, church administrator, for her contribution to keeping this whole operation going.

Respectfully submitted
Keith Fischer, chair

The activities undertaken by the Evangelism Commission during 2003 reflect the many gifts of the commission members: Margy Brown, Sally Dunn, Victoria Houseman, Do Kirk, Shawn Nutter, Kitty Underwood, Nancy Wagner, Jan Schulte-Glad, and Cathy Smith.

The commission continued its efforts to make Trinity a welcoming place for visitors. We attempted to deliver a small bag of information and goodies to first-time visitors who provide an address in the pew pad, often on the day that they visited. This "thank you for worshipping with us" is followed by a welcome letter from Dr. Dan Anderson-Little when the individual visits again.

The commission hosted the membership inquiry classes. During 2003, twenty new members joined our congregation, including three members of the Confirmation Class. We welcomed these members with receptions, brunches, and Trinity News articles to introduce them to our church family. Special thanks to Kitty Underwood and Cathy Smith for recruiting sponsors, to Sally Dunn for coordinating the receptions, and to Cathy Smith and Do Kirk for hosting brunches in their homes. Thanks also to the members of the congregation who served as sponsors.

Again in 2003, we published colorful flyers for special events and seasonal worship schedules for Easter and Christmas. We also advertised in the Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages and University City's Cityscape newspaper. And Cathy Smith prepared and issued press releases about special events.

The Trinity website (www.trinityucity.org) remains an ever-changing tool for communicating with our congregation members and for outreach to the community at large. Special thanks to Brian Schroer, our Web Master, for his dedication to providing timely updates and for the continual addition of new information.

A major undertaking of the Evangelism Commission came to a close during 2003 with the release of the new pictorial directory. The entire commission worked on this project with additional assistance from Betty Burnett and Jenni Holt.

Again in 2003, Evangelism assisted Christian Education in launching the fall worship and education schedule. Thanks to Sally Dunn for her hard work and leadership and to all those who helped with food preparation for lunch.

My thanks to each member of the commission for generously sharing their talents and serving on the Evangelism Commission and to the members of the congregation who assisted our efforts during 2003.

Respectfully submitted,
Beth David, Chairperson

Notable accomplishments this year were the streamlined structure of the commission and the development of a process for evaluating Facilities projects. This will be very helpful in the future.

The following are some of the projects completed in 2003:

1. Replacement of the scrim in the Sanctuary.
2. Cleaning, repair, and painting of 23 stained glass windows on the lower level of the building.
3. Waterproofing of the Washington Avenue church stairs.

In 2004 we look forward to making progress on several projects:

1. Now that the water problem has been corrected, we will start the renovation of the bathrooms in the basement at the north end of the church.
2. The sound system will be updated with components that have already been purchased.
3. Painting of the upstairs hall.

My thanks to the members of the Facilities Commission for their faithful service: Karon Bilbrey, Birty Hodgson, Ann Weible, and Tom Wilhite.

Respectfully submitted,
John Roman
Facilities Commission Chair

Parish Life promotes fellowship within the congregation while providing hospitality events for visitors and guests. This year our commission was active with many annual traditional affairs plus more than a few welcome activities.

Sunday Morning Coffee Hour: Our commission happily served coffee, bagels and cream cheese with cookies for the youngsters throughout the year. It was the opinion of the commission that attendance was down because of lateness of coffee hour, being moved from just after church to after Sunday school. We would like to have some coffee hour's right after church because that is the time when everyone could come.

Special Receptions: Recognition of the Confirmation Class.

Maundy Thursday Dinner: This special meal was prepared and served by members of the Commission.

Hanging of the Greens: A chili lunch was served to approximately thirty people, young and old.

Christmas Coffee Hour: A great success. Thanks to so many Trinity bakers.

Commission Members: Charlotte Landrum, Emily Kelton, David Hotaling, Melissa Kreishman, Corie Merker, Ether Scott, Art Platt, Roberta McBride and Jane Gibbons.

Respectfully submitted,
Jane Gibbons

Personnel Commission spent the winter and early spring months updating the Personnel Manual. Tom Cobb led the revision of all 25 pages using humor and persistence to keep our noses to the task. The manual is now up-to-date and available in the church office.

Spring was spent doing evaluations. Dan Anderson-Little wrote evaluations for Paul Vasile, Janet Mote and Karon Bilbrey. Karon Bilbrey wrote evaluations for Birty Hodgson and Linde Baechle. The Personnel Commission reviewed these evaluations and wrote Dan's evaluation. Dan's goals and objectives were presented at the July Session meeting for approval by the Session.

In July we bid farewell to two longtime, extremely faithful members of the Personnel Commission - Tim Rand and Paul Bregitzer. Personnel would like to thank Tim and Paul for their energy and hard work.

We have continued to have potlucks with staff members to encourage an open dialogue between the Personnel Commission and the staff. Trinity has an excellent staff who are supportive, creative and enhance our life at Trinity.

As chair, I would like to thank the members of personnel for their thoughtfulness and caring in discussions at each meeting and for their ongoing support and hard work.

Tom Cobb

Karen Coletti

Terry Crow

David Nelson

Sandy Norkaitis

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Hoyne, Chair
Personnel Commission

In 2003, Trinity focused on its history by celebrating its first 50 years. As was evident through out the year, we focused on the way our lives have been woven together into the "Fabric of our Faith." This was also central to the selection of music used in worship. Music at Trinity covers many traditions and cultures: classical European and American hymns and anthems, African-American spirituals, gospel music, modern music, folk music, music from Peru, Africa, India, and other corners of the world.

Some of the new elements that we tried this year in worship were:

• In Lent, the use of icons in worship and a more informal preaching style
• A youth service focusing on spirituality in the summer
• On World Communion Sunday the use of African music and dance
• Faith sharing during the lighting of the Advent candles
• The presence of the loom in the front of the sanctuary and weaving by most of the congregation, including those saints we recently lost
• Dixieland music!
• Folk music!
• and a continued dedication to diversity in all its forms.

Worship planning at Trinity is an ongoing joy and challenge. It is a joy because members of this church appreciate a wide diversity of expressions in worship; there is openness to trying new things and praising God in many ways. That appreciation of diversity also poses a challenge: how do we meaningfully plan worship that meets such a wide a variety of needs on any given Sunday? Each week, the staff seeks to balance these various needs and preferences, always trying to be faithful to scripture and to our traditions. We are continually blessed by their dedication and willingness to share their immense talents.

In addition to the staff, there are so many members of the congregation who participate in the planning and implementation of any given service, it would be impossible to name them all. To avoid the risk of naming a few and missing one, simply know that nothing in the service is done alone, and no service has meaning without the participation of every member of this glorious congregation. Warmest thanks to all who made and continue to make worship such a blessed experience at Trinity. Without you, our tables are bear, our sanctuary is silent, and the halls would never be decked.

For the Worship & Music Commission,

Paul Devine
Suzanne Trotter, Virginia Bregitzer, Ruth Cobb, Nancy Wagoner, Brian Schroer, and Paul Vasile

Trinity's Endowment Fund was created in the mid-1950s to provide fiscal support for Trinity Presbyterian Church, and to help the church meet its responsibilities and new challenges in an ever-changing world. That purpose has remained constant throughout the years to today.

During the year 2003, the Endowment Fund contributed $$$ toward Trinity's operating budget, which represented approximately 16.5% of the budgeted income. The Fund also contributed an additional $$$ to underwrite the majority of costs associated with the various Trinity's 50th Anniversary Celebration events. The money for these contributions comes from income and capital appreciation of the Endowment Fund.

As of September 30, 2003, the most recent reporting period for which figures are available, the value of the Endowment Fund was $$$, an increase of approximately 4% compared with the value a year ago. This includes the repayment of a $$$ loan made to the Church in March 1999, which was used to assist the pastor in the purchase of a home.

In 2004, the Fund will again contribute $$$ toward the Church budget, following its guidelines to contribute the greater of $$$ or 5% of the Fund's average value for the September 30 and three preceding calendar quarters.

The Endowment is overseen by a board of 13 directors, including four from each of three annual "classes" and the pastor, Dr. Dan Anderson-Little, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Board. During 2003, the officers of the Fund were: Cathy Smith, President; Terry Crow, Vice President; and Keith Fischer, Secretary/Treasurer. Other Board members are Henry Edmonds, Andy Hoyne, Bob Klostermeier, Doug Peden, George Philips, Susan Rava, George Salwasser, Ray Scholin and Marge Versprille.

The assets are professionally managed by Fox Asset Management, Inc., of Little Silver, N.J., which has been instructed to pursue a conservative balanced investment approach, investing in stocks, bonds and cash.

The Board is assisted by a local company, Fiduciary Consultants, Inc., which provides regular evaluation and reporting on Fox Asset Management's performance. Fox Asset Management has successfully met its objectives, generating an above-average return on investments compared to other comparable funds with similar investment objectives.

The Board gratefully acknowledges the generosity of those who have given gifts and bequests to the Fund throughout its history.

Respectfully submitted,
Catherine W. Smith, President

It has been a year of energy, growth, and excitement within the Board of Deacons as we have continued to build upon the foundation, which was laid down by the boards of previous years. We see it as our role not just to meet the needs of the congregation ourselves, but also to lead the whole congregation in fostering the ability and desire and sense of community to meet the needs of each other by the members.

We started out the year with a Deacon Sunday where we reviewed the current structure of the Deacons, and the ways to make the Deacons aware of the needs and desires of members. We also obtained ideas and input from the congregation as to how the Deacons can be effective and responsive in their ministry. We asked for volunteers to provide meals, visits to individuals not able to attend church, and also to provide rides to members when needed.

We have divided the board into 3 areas:

1. Short term care which includes seeing that church member in need (hospitalization, illness, divorcing, job loss, deaths, new baby, etc.), are met. A process for communication was identified for short-term care whereby information could be given via any of these means: a. To Dan, b. To the church office via phone call, voicemail, or email, or c. To any of the deacons. We set up a dispatch Deacon Position that shares this information with the rest of the deacons, and then sets up a plan to follow-up.
2. Long term care which includes visiting and sending cards and making calls to the homebound members of the congregation, and also included coordinating the process of collecting and bringing Advent bags and reading to some members of the congregation who are either unable to attend church regularly, or who have earned the privilege of obtaining an Advent bag just by their years of collective wisdom.
3. Other - which included one Deacon starting out providing ministry to a couple facing serious illness, and then turned into a ministry of prayer, and also included another deacon providing a telephone ministry, which broadened into a connecting and food ministry.

We also identified a contact on the deacons who could assist with looking for individuals in the congregation to provide transportation to a member when that is needed, and we identified a process of generating and providing meals to members at special times, and a deacon coordinated that process.

The latter part of the year we have been looking at how we can serve the needs of the congregation while each using our individual spiritual gifts of the members on the board.

Respectfully submitted,
Dawn Mahoney

WHAT A GREAT GROUP! Another year has come and gone, and we "Oldies" are still having a wonderful time at our get-togethers and occasional jaunts in the Van; our Pastor Dan is still driving and taking wonderful care of us. It is so much appreciated and enjoyed. On several occasions this year, some of our group had some problems, such as illness, vacations or other matters that prevented our going on Van trips, but we always managed to have fun just going to some very nice restaurant.

This year we had many delicious luncheons at Jimmy's On the Park, Cheshire Restaurant, Daniele Hotel, and the Norman K. Probstein Clubhouse in Forest Park, J. Buck's Restaurant in Clayton, and one of our very favorites - a Van trip to see the beautiful fall colors and luncheon at Pere Marquette Lodge in Illinois.

We still hope that more Trinity Retirees will become interested and will join us to celebrate 2004. It is really such a privilege and a blessing to participate in these outings. There is no lack of conversation and lots of good humor, and we get to know each other so much better. Friendship is so important!

Whenever you receive an announcement of a planned event, please do stop by or call the Church Office (314-725-3840) and add your name to the list. Since we always plan on the 3^rd Thursday of the month, it is important that you call or come in by Tuesday so we can make the proper reservations.

YOU are cordially invited! Join us in the FUN!

Respectfully submitted
Hazel Edick