Welcome to the web edition of the Trinity Presbyterian Church annual report for the year 2004.

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

Membership, December 31, 2003	462
Members Received	23
Members transferred by letter	4
Deaths	9
Baptisms	4
Weddings	2
Membership, December 31, 2004	472
Affiliate members received	1
Total affiliate members	2

The year 2004 was a productive and forward-looking year for us at Trinity. At the beginning of the year we capped off our 50^th Anniversary Celebration with the unfurling of The Fabric of Our Faith. Our twenty foot weaving which now hangs in the Dining Room reminds us, not only of our wonderful past, but it also points us to a glorious future - for God continues to weave us together in the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

2004 had many highlights: The Gathering, a once a month worship service geared for the youth of Trinity was started by Commissioned Lay Pastor Paul Devine; the Youth Group hosted a marvelous formal dinner dance in February; the Ariana String Quartet joined us for a powerful presentation of Haydn's Seven Last Words on Good Friday; Dr. Preman Niles, a world leader in ecumenism preached for us in May; the Worship & Music Commission sponsored a wonderful Pentecost service; on the 4^th of July, Tom Peters and Terry Crow hosted a fun outdoor worship service; our weekend Vacation Bible School in August drew new participants; the Sanctuary was alive with dance and Latin American music on World Communion Sunday; we had a joyous and rich celebration of Advent and Christmas. In addition to these highlights, I am also reminded of the death and funeral of Tommy Grant, a young man who grew up at Trinity. While Tommy's death was tragic and indescribably sad, I was deeply moved by the outpouring of love and concern shown by so many members of Trinity.

2004 also saw the emergence of some trends that served us well this year and bode well for the years to come:

• Officer training and preparation - the DNA class, which was required of all new officers in 2003, started to bear fruit in 2004. The new elders and deacons that went through the class have added greatly to our leadership and service. I see the same trend continuing this year as a second group of officers have now gone through that process.
• A looser commission structure - in 2004 we started to experiment with committee structure. Both Church & Community and Christian Education have tried an umbrella approach with the majority of the committee work being carried out by smaller teams. We are still figuring this arrangement out, but it has led to greater efficiency and greater participation.
• Greater financial accountability - this has been a multi-year process and 2004 was no exception. The Corporate Affairs Commission has taken the lead in this important work.
• Ongoing diversity in our worship service - this past March, the Worship & Music Commission sponsored a worship survey. The survey showed that the membership of the church is highly satisfied with our worship and that we have a broad range of tastes and preferences when it comes to worship. While this diversity presents great challenges to planning worship, it also means that we have an incredibly rich and dynamic worship life.
• Better planning for adult education - the Adult Education Planning Team has done excellent work, not only in planning specific classes, but in helping me, the Session, and the congregation take a longer range view of adult education.
• Growth as the people of God - in 2004 we added new members with new perspectives and new spiritual gifts; and our membership continued to grow spiritually in worship, learning, and service. God blessed us in 2004. So we say thanks be to God.

As we look forward to 2005, we are encouraged by God's faithfulness in 2004. Our celebration of the God-filled year that is past, calls us to embrace a God-filled future.

Yours in Christ,

Dan Anderson-Little, Pastor

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to write an Annual Report this year, not simply because there is good news to share but because preparing it has allowed me the opportunity to do some important reflecting about Trinity's music ministry, its unique character and spirit, and the future that God is calling us to.

Music is such a vital part of our corporate worship and, week after week, members of the congregation thank me for providing it. If only I could take all the credit! Instead, I must thank the amazing singers, ringers, instrumentalists and educators in our congregation who actually do the ministering! The members of the Trinity Choir, Festival Choir, Handbell Choir and Children's Choirs share their time, skills and spirit so generously and are an invaluable asset to this community of faith. And I must also thank you, the worshipping congregation, for your active leadership in worship, for keeping the ears on your head and the ears in your heart open to a wide variety of music. I know few congregations that truly welcome the breadth of musical expression that you do!

Here are some important highlights that stand out from the past year:

Growth of Children's Music Ministry - Because of dwindling participation in our Wednesday afternoon children's choirs, Session encouraged a Children's Music Ministry Team to find a schedule that would work better for parents and children. The result is the Sunday Morning Singers, a group of children from grades 3-6 that meets after Christian Education on Sunday morning. Participation has increased significantly, there is strong parental support and the group has ministered in worship with great joy and skill. I have profuse thanks for Karen Coletti, the director of the group, and the parents who are supporting this vital ministry to our children!

Additionally, we worked with Janet Mote to restructure the children's education hour. Children in grades K-4 now experience 10-15 minutes of music at the end of God's Creation each week. Karen, I and other musicians help to lead this important time of singing and community building. I am deeply excited that these changes are allowing our children to experience more music, more often!

New Sound System - After years of coping with an outdated and underpowered sound system, we were blessed with the people and resources to install a new one. Thanks to the expertise and generosity of Chuck Stanton, Joe Pallazolo, Roger Pallazolo and the Endowment Board, a state-of-the-art system with new speakers, microphones and an amplification system for the hearing impaired will allow God's Word to be heard clearly for years to come.

Local and Global Connections - Trinity's music ministry continues to reach out to performing groups in our community and throughout the world. Last year we hosted a Saint Louis Symphony Outreach Concert, the Saint Louis Women's Chorale, the Arkansas State University Ringers, a wide range of solo and ensemble recitals, Grupo Atlantico on World Communion Sunday and the Boy's Choir of Kenya in late October. Additionally, the Trinity Choir gave a joint performance of Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ with UMSL's Arianna String Quartet on Good Friday and the choirs of Second Presbyterian Church and Trinity held a joint concert in early May.

Pipe Organ Fundraising - Last April, the Session approved a funding initiative to repair and restore the pipe organ at Trinity. For many years black soot has been falling from the ceiling into the organ and the mechanical parts of the 35-year old console have seriously deteriorated. With Session's encouragement, I put together an Organ Fundraising Team that has laid a strong and compelling groundwork for our efforts. The congregation will hear more about this endeavor in the coming weeks but I am excited to tell you that, even before we begin the public phase of our fundraising campaign, we are more than two-thirds of the way toward our financial goal!

Members Share Their Musical Gifts - It has been such a delight to see instrumentalists and singers coming out of the woodwork in the past months. I know that there are many more of you in the congregation and want to encourage you to participate in whatever ways you are able. This year, we will work to provide even more musical opportunities that will be geared to members' interest, availability and skill. Consider how you can be involved!

Congregation as Choir - It has been a joy to hear the congregation singing strongly, actively participating in hymns, Psalms and responses. I see us growing into understanding that God delights to hear us singing God's praise, no matter our age or skill, and that we all have a vital role to play as worship leaders.

As we enter a new year, I see so much potential for Trinity's music ministry. Above all, I believe that we must continue to celebrate many different musical expressions of faith. We honor our past; in some cases this means rediscovering and restoring what has grown familiar or what has faded. We also explore and experiment, finding new and compelling ways of hearing God's Word through music. I also feel passionately that we must begin to build more intentional musical partnerships with other churches and Arts organizations in our community. We have so much to learn from others and Trinity has much to share with others. Music can be a powerful unifying tool and brings people from diverse denominations, socio-economic backgrounds, races and cultures together. We have the resources, energy and compassion to make a difference in our community, to give witness to the unifying and all-encompassing love of Jesus Christ.

I continue to celebrate that God has called me to Trinity. I arrived almost four years ago and have been blessed, challenged and inspired by the journey that we have shared together. I look forward to seeing how our music ministry will grow and evolve and welcome your continued prayer and support in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Paul Vasile
Minister of Music

This year has been one in which we have taken the wonderful foundations of Christian Education programs at Trinity and built on to them in new and exciting ways!

2004 marked the beginning of "The Gathering" a house worship service for our senior high youth once a month in homes of members of our congregation. We have been blessed with gracious hosts who have opened not only their homes to host us, but also their hearts as they have taken the opportunity to know the youth of this church better. Through the leadership of Paul Devine we have shared our thoughts and authentic spirit as we worshiped together through the making and eating of a meal, discussion, music, movies, communion and sharing.

August brought a new model for Vacation Bible School, a weekend intergenerational faith experience. It was a refreshing time for adults and children to worship, learn, sing, and have fun together.

As we entered our fourth year of God's Creation, it has been so exciting to have the music and education ministries of this church work hand in hand to provide a new opportunity for children's music at the end of education. All the children in "God's Creation" gather at the Thicket for a closing time of music together.

I have truly appreciated the conversations and struggles the Christian Education commission has had over the year. Struggles of what programs do we offer and why, questions of defining our mission and our role, and difficult discussions of how "church" can move to a deeper sustaining way of equipping disciples to live out and pass on their faith daily wherever they are. I hope that the congregation will join in and be rewarded by the fruits of those conversations, as we move forward into the coming year. The first of which is a unique education opportunity in January of 2005, "Making a Home for Faith," in which both adults and children will have the chance to explore what they believe and engage in intergenerational faith sharing conversations.

And on top of all of that we continue to have: volunteers caring for the youngest of God's children in the Nursery each week; Preschoolers starting their exploration of Bible stories; Worship School as an alternative worship place for younger elementary children; Pre K - 4^th graders learning through different workshops each week in "God's Creation;" 5^th & 6^th graders diving into their studies of Old and New Testament; 7^th & 8^th graders on their confirmation journey as fishers of faith, questioning, searching, and defining their beliefs; Senior High youth enriching their understanding of faith through a profound mission trip to Mexico, Montreat, and the addition of Triennium this year, as well as weekly youth group meetings of study, mission and fellowship; small groups that truly blossomed this year as adults found meaningful faith relationships with others; and adult education opportunities to engage and enrich the faith lives of our adults.

We have been blessed with so many talented volunteers that breathe life into all of this. They are the ones who move it from just a program of the church to ministering to one another, thank you!

Peace of Christ,

Janet Chester
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 2004. I would also like to thank the other faithful & hardworking members of the commission - Tom Wilhite, Ann Weible, & Birty Hodgson. I would also like to thank Linde Baechle, Birty Hodgson & Karen Hodgson for being loyal, dedicated, employees.

There have been many major projects completed in 2004.

• Sanctuary floors refinished.

• Sanctuary pews refinished.

• Radiators in Weems Chapel, Sanctuary & Narthex scraped & painted. (The remainder of the radiators will be finished when the heat is turned off this spring.)

• Replacement of the Sound System in the Sanctuary.

• Painting of the upstairs hall and stairway leading into the Dining Room.

• Air conditioning unit repaired.

• Drain problem at the lower Kingsland entrance as well as in the bathrooms under the Narthex repaired.

• Ongoing major project is the renovation of the bathrooms at the north end of the church under the Washington Avenue steps. This will be completed in early 2005.

The Facilities commission contracted to have the outside property of the church maintained regularly, allowing Birty more time to do as much maintenance work in the building as possible.

Plans for 2005 include the beginning of renovation of the bathrooms in the lower level off the Dining Room and the renovation of the lower Kingsland entrance.

I look forward to the coming year with all of its challenges 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

The Christian Education Commission oversees many programs in the life of Trinity. To keep the programs viable and effective many persons are needed. The commission wants to thank most sincerely all those who have given so generously of their time and talents to share their faith with the young people and other adults. None of the items covered in the review below could have been possible without our wonderful, and numerous, corps of volunteers.

In 004 the commission was reorganized to function as an umbrella covering several finite programs. The programs and the representative to the commission are as follows:

Nursery and Pre-School:	Norma Vavra
Elementary:	Karen Mayberry
Youth:	Janet Chester
Adult Education:	Tina Newberry
Small Groups:	David Hotaling

The nursery and pre-school provide care throughout the morning's program each Sunday. Becca Courtney provides continuity for the nursery with one or two volunteers each week as needed. In the preschool teachers serve for a month at a time with an assistant, often a senior high. There is a curriculum for the preschool to introduce the children to our faith story on their level.

The offering for the elementary children uses rotating learning centers in God's Creation for the children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. These classes take place in the hour following worship. A delightful addition to the church school hour since fall is music led by talented volunteers. In addition volunteers staff Worship School during approximately the last half of the worship hour for children pre-kindergarten through second grade if their parents feel they cannot yet benefit from the adult service. For the elementary and pre-school classes a successful Vacation Bible School was held the third weekend of August under the leadership of Stacey Carman with the theme of "Heroes". In recent years VBS had been held Mon-Fri of a week earlier in the summer, However, the weekend schedule worked well and made it possible to include adults for an intergenerational experience during the worship hour and afterwards (including lunch)! During the VBS sessions the 5^th and 6^th graders met for retreat with Tina Newberry and Jennifer Higginbotham. These children (5^th and 6^th) have regular classes each Sunday during the academic year.

The youth (7^th-1`2th grade) have a full and varied schedule. The Communicants' Class is led by Mark and Kim Merritt with a two year span for 7^th and 8th graders. On May 23 ten young people were confirmed. We all got to meet the class on Maundy Thursday as they help serve and presented the liturgy they had written. Beginning this fall the senior highs have a class each Sunday morning led by Janet Chester as well as a meeting each Sunday evening. Janet, Mark Merritt, and Barb Rand provide leadership for the latter. One Sunday a month the evening meeting becomes the Gathering in a home under the leadership of Paul Devine.

The Mission Trip took place in Juarez, Mexico, in June with seven senior highs and three adults, Janet Chester, Paul Devine, and Diane O'Brien. In the early fall the groups served an elaborate Mexican lunch in the dining room after worship with a pictorial and spoken review of their trip. In August six young people and two adults, Janet and Ann Fischer, participated in the Montreat experience.

The Adults Education classes have been planned and presented by the Adult Education committee for one class a week since Lent. The committee fields one offering with a staff person leading another. Suzanne Trotter had ten sessions on the Ten Commandments. In the spring the committee-led class used a Henri Nouwen book to explore Lenten practices, led by Tina Newberry and Linda Anderson-Little. This fall Dan taught DNA (Disciples and Apostles) and the other class was on Imaging Your Faith with wonderful works of art - visual, audio, and words from other cultures, led by Tina, Linda, George Philips and Luise Hoffman. As a special activity George Sallwasser conducted an Art Museum tour to see other pieces of religious based art. The 2004 series was concluded with music of Advent led by Paul Vasile in the organ loft with resounding effect.

2004 was the year small groups flourished. In the first half of the year Bob Parks' Tuesday night group continued and finished its planned sequence, as did Cathy Smith's group, a Spiritual Autobiography. A group led by Chris Schmidt and Betty Burnett explored "Simple Living". FEAST (Fellowship, Eating, and Sharing Together) for the twenty-and thirty-something's continued their once a month Saturday evening gatherings under Liz Nelson's leadership. The group organized Hanging of the Greens on a Saturday evening with an intergenerational group for decorating, a chili supper, and a concert. A group for those older than FEAST is calling itself the Third Saturday group, led by Jim Person. They have had a variety of get-togethers to promote fellowship.

This report is the tip of the iceberg in terms of leaders, classes, and their impact. Please know your contribution to the Commission is cherished and appreciated, even if you are not singled out.

Respectfully submitted,

Norma Vavra, Chair
Christian Education Commission

Local and national outreach is a prominent part of the ministry of Trinity. In our outreach efforts we seek to allocate funds to agencies that can benefit from our financial support, as well as to partner with agencies that resonate with our mission and vision as Christians in our local and larger community. The financial contributions of Trinity are amplified many times by the hours of volunteer time contributed by Trinity members. In 2004, mission funds were allocated to seventeen local agencies, including two organizations new to Trinity, Missouri Association for Social Welfare and St. Vincent Home. This year in addition, Trinity members have been involved in new and ongoing outreach efforts in areas of interfaith alliances, refugee support and non-discrimination. We continued our membership in the Covenant network, and supported the Interfaith Partnership and the International Institute. Within the church, the Commission supported the Senior High Mission Trip, the Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund, and the Winger Food Pantry. The following account is an invitation to Trinity members who feel led to contribute to a particular mission with their time, talent, and funds.

Local Mission: The head of the Local Mission Funding Team is Melissa Kreishman, and members of the team are Lynne Beck, Pat Gibbons, Matt Schindler, and Kirk Swearingen. Agencies and organizations supported this year included Beyond Housing, Care and Counseling, CSC Charities for Children, Doorways, Genesis House, Midland House, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Oasis "Person to Person," RAVEN (Rape and Violence End Now), The St. Vincent Children's Home, University City Medical Transportation, University City Residential Services, the Janet Horner Fund of the First Presbyterian Church of University City (providing utility assistance to those in need),and the Women's Safe House. The team's recommendations for funding were approved by the Session. A full financial statement for 2004 is attached, with allocations made in 2001-2003 included for comparison. A brief description of all organizations supported is also included.

Winger Food Pantry: Again this year we give special thanks to Sandy Norkaitis for her ongoing leadership and commitment to this mission. Sandy reports: "The Winger food pantry continues to be a valued source of emergency food for people in need throughout St. Louis. Our numbers grew again this year and I often wonder if Bob and Phyllis Winger could have dreamed of the number of people being helped and the number of volunteers who offer their time and commitment weekly in the food pantry. We had fun at our first Souper Bowl lunch, prepared by Sally Dunn, to benefit the Matthew 25 Fund and the Winger Food Pantry. The competition between youth and adults was fierce but the youth won with many more jars of peanut butter donated. The food pantry would not exist if it were not for the dedicated volunteers who shopped, bagged and distributed food to 1,542 clients. Our shoppers were Jane Gibbons, Stacey Carman, Robyn Peglar and Sally Dunn. The monthly baggers were Joanne and John Roman, Emily Kelton, Kitty Underwood, Polly Brown, Lynn Beck, Kirk and Jyll Swearingen, Tina, Larry, Joanna and Isaac Newberry, Norma Varva and Wally Klein, Christy Thompson, Andrea and Charlie Royce, Michelle, Griffin, Dylan and Shane Devine, and Linda Min. With our favorite assistant, Birty Hodgson, Sally Dunn, Harold Glad, Roberta Middelkamp, Sandy Norkaitis and Jerry Royce distributed food each Wednesday. Our biggest Wednesday was November 17 when we gave away 55 turkeys/turkey breasts plus the regular bagged food. We were very fortunate to have received 200 cases of Boy Scout Food from their annual food drive this past year. Special thanks to Harold Glad, Jane Gibbons, Stacey Carman and Sandy Norkaitis for picking up the food at the St. Louis Food Bank. In April we received 2,700 personal care items from the Girl Scouts from their annual April Showers collection. Trinity was again one of the drop off sites. We are also very thankful for the support of this loving congregation who donate money, Meal a Month, plus Spirit Sorensen and Charlotte Landrum who bring food several times a year from their school food drives. It is a wonderful group of volunteers to work with and I can't thank them enough for their hard work and caring ministry."

Covenant Network: Bob Wagoner has served as our liaison with The Covenant Network since Trinity became a member of Covenant in 2003. Members of Trinity, in conjunction with members from First Presbyterian and Oak Hill Presbyterian, staffed a booth at the Giddings-Lovejoy Pres-B-Fest at John Calvin Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 12, 1004. The booth presented materials from Covenant Network, More Light Presbyterians, Shower of Stoles, and That All May Freely Serve under the banner "Can We Talk About... " The goal was to make people aware that there are faithful Christians within Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery that are actively working to create a church that is welcoming and affirming and ordains all those called to serve regardless of sexual orientation.

Interfaith Partnership: Thanks to the efforts of George Philips, a group of ten Trinity members attended the 2004 meeting and award ceremony of the Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis in May. The Interfaith Partnership promotes peace, respect and understanding among people of all faiths. We hope to participate in this meeting on an annual basis. Those interested in more information about this organization can go to the website, www.interfaithpartnership.org.

International Institute: This year Trinity has provided $$$ (from our peace-making offering) to support the refugee resettlement work of the International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis. This effort was coordinated by Harold Glad, George Philips, and Ann Fischer. At the time of this writing there is an international crisis in the Indian Ocean, the scope of which is unprecedented in our lifetime, which will greatly increase the already large need for volunteers at the Institute. Those interested in volunteering may contact Harold Glad for more information.

Trinity, in its varied ministries, provides us all with many opportunities to be missionaries in Christ. May our congregation continue to grow in love and in service.

Respectfully submitted
Mary Nielsen, Chair

Trinity Presbyterian Church, Church & Community/Peacemaking Commission, 2004 Italic type = new for 2004
Organization	2004 prop.	2004 alloc.	2003 alloc.	2002 alloc.	2001 alloc.
Beyond Housing	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Care and Counseling	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Covenant Network	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
CSC Charities for Children	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Doorways	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Father Dunne's Newsboys' Home	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Flynn Park Friendship Enrichment	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Genesis House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Interfaith Partnership	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
International Institute	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Lydia's House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Midland House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Missouri Assoc for Social Welfare	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Mound Ridge Camp	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
OASIS "Person-to-Person"	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Our Little Haven	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Presbyterian Children's Services	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Presbyterian Welcome#	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Prison Fellowship	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
RAVEN	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Room At The Inn	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Senior High Mission Trip	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
St. Vincent Home	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Trinity Alternative Gift Market	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
University City Medical Transportation	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
University City Residential Service	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Utility Assistance (First Presb. Of U. City)	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Winger Food Pantry	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Winger Food Pantry Special Projects	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Women's Safe House	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Lauren Herring, Catano, Puerto Rico	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
TOTAL FUNDS ALLOCATED	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
C & C Approved Budget	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Extra funds received from Session	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
Total funds available	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$

^#One-time gift in honor of the ordination of Mieke Vandersal

Agencies Funded in 2004

Beyond Housing provides decent, secure housing, as well as a supportive environment, to low-income families in order to maximize their potential for improved family life, community living, and financial independence.

Care and Counseling is a pastoral care agency that partners with clergy, teachers, physicians and other professionals to make mental health services accessible to people of all walks of life. 40% of the agency's client base is at or below the poverty line. Care and Counseling maintains a satellite office at Trinity. The current counselor there is Dale Chavis.

CSC Charities for Children providespersonal care items and school supplies to disadvantaged children, such as those in shelters for homeless, or in shelters for abused and neglected children. This charity is managed by Charlotte Landrum and Spirit Sorenson of Trinity.

Doorways isan interfaith program that provides housing options in the St. Louis area for people living with HIV/AIDS related illness. The Residential Program and the Own Home program support those with financial hardship, and the Supportive Housing Facility provides for those unable to live independently.

Genesis House is a project of the Presbytery, a coffeehouse with an art gallery located across from the Delmar Metrolink station. This is a ministry for persons who may need to encounter God in a non-traditional setting.

Interfaith Partnership is made up of denominations, congregations, and individuals from thirty faith communities. The mission of Interfaith Partnership is to "promote peace, respect and understanding among people of all faiths" through dialogue, education, and social outreach programs.

The International Institute of Saint Louis, a member of United Way of Greater Saint Louis, has been providing a broad array of social services for new Americans since 1919. Its programs, including teaching English, finding jobs, and providing adjustment services to help newcomers overcome language and cultural barriers, are designed to move refugees and immigrants quickly from overwhelming dependence to productivity and self-sufficiency.

Midland House uses a non-traditional approach to help those recovering from severe psychiatric illness to become functioning participants within their own families, with friends, and in activities of daily life. Organized like a club, Midland House provides a place where members can go during the day to interact with others and to share in planning activities, providing meals, and publishing a newsletter.

The Missouri Association for Social Welfare (MASW) is a citizen membership organization founded in 1901 that advocates for changes in public policy to improve social conditions. Their mission is "to provide the leadership, research, education and advocacy to improve public policies and programs impacting the health and welfare of all people in Missouri". The organization has led efforts to create the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Children's Hunger Relief Act, managed care consumer protection, the Missouri Foundation for Health, and many more.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) provides support, education and advocacy services for those with mental illness. NAMI serves as a resource for individuals, families, and professionals involved in living with and treating mental illness.

Prison Fellowship is dedicated to showing prisoners how Christian living and dedication can provide them with the values and skills they need to reenter society. The Missouri program is part of a larger Prison Fellowship program that is active nationally and internationally, and includes a prison bible study program, and marriage counseling and support groups for recently released prisoners and their families.

RAVEN (Rape and Violence End Now) provides counseling and education to men with the goal of ending male violence against women and children, and also provides education about enlightened masculinity at the institutional and social level.

Senior High Mission Work Project completed its 35^th summer mission trip in 2004, with six senior high youth and three adults participating in mission work at a church and a church school in Juarez, Mexico. The purpose of the mission trips is to reach out to others by providing physical labor and materials for construction projects, and to enrich the spiritual lives of our youth.

Senior Minister's Discretionary Fund allows our pastor to respond to individual requests for emergency financial assistance.

The Saint Vincent Home for Children is a residential treatment center that provides care (housing meals, clothing and therapy) for abused and neglected children, ages six through thirteen, with moderate to severe emotional problems, behavior disorders, and/or learning disabilities.

The Winger Food Pantry stocks non-perishable food for those in need, and provides four days worth of food each visit. The pantry is staffed by Trinity volunteers and funded by our local mission funds, donations from the congregation, food drives sponsored by the Boy Scouts or schools, and on occasion low-cost purchases made at the St. Louis Area Food Bank. In addition, Trinity members donate turkeys and chickens for the Food Pantry to distribute at Thanksgiving.

University City Medical Transportation through the University City Senior Service Board provides free transportation for all seniors living in University City to and from any medical appointment they may have.

University City Residential Service works to maintain and improve the quality of life in University City by promoting the city as a place to live and attracting residents who reflect diverse economic, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. The service also assists persons who may find themselves unable to locate reasonable housing in the University City area.

The Women's Safe House shelters women and their children in the St. Louis City and County areas. The program is the only shelter in St. Louis that can house all minor children of the abused mother. The shelter also offers extensive follow-up to their clients, including therapy, financial aid, and independence skill development.

The Corporate Affairs Commission provides ongoing financial, budgetary, investment and general corporate guidance to the Session. Members during 2004 included Keith Fischer, chairperson; Joanne Roman, Church Treasurer; Jennifer Courtney; Kathy Kramer; and John Merker.

This commission, along with the ad hoc Budget Committee, is responsible for developing a budget approved by the Session. The initial 2005 budget proposal approved by Session calls for $$$ in expenditures, a 4% reduction from the 2004 budget of $$$. The main area of savings is in Facilities expenditures now that the restroom project at the north end of the building is coming to a conclusion. Additional savings occurred in several areas: Corporate Affairs (no office audit this year); church office expenses (fewer dollars spent on computer leases); Christian Education (less budgeted for small groups; although groups are thriving, they are fairly self-supporting); and smaller amounts in several other line items.

A reduction in the budget for 2005 and most likely in the foreseeable future is mandatory because of the amounts that must be subsidized from the church's savings. In 2004 approximately $$$ had to be taken from savings to support the budget.

The total projected budget of $$$ will be funded from the following sources of revenue:

Pledges	$$$
Loose offering / Non-pledge income	$$$
Endowment Contribution	$$$
Interest from investments	$$$
Building use fees	$$$
Savings contribution	$$$

As of 12/21/04, $$$ has been pledged by 105 units.

The One Great Hour of Sharing raised $$$; some of these funds were used to support the mission trip of Barb Rand to Peru.

The Corporate Affairs Commission extends special thanks to Linde Baechle, our Financial Secretary, who does such a superb job of keeping the finances of the church on track, and to Karon Bilbrey, church administrator, for her hard work in overseeing church operations.

Respectfully submitted,

Keith C. Fischer

The Evangelism Commission has two primary focuses for its work:

• Making Trinity known in the community so that others are aware of our faith community and may join us in worship and mission.
• Welcoming visitors and new members into our fellowship.

The activities completed by the Evangelism Commission during 2004 reflect the talents and dedication of the commission members: Margy Brown, Sally Dunn, Do Kirk, Kim Martin, Jan Schulte-Glad, and Cathy Smith.

On a weekly basis, we review the information left in the pew pads to identify first time visitors. When visitors leave their addresses, we attempt to deliver a small bag of information and goodies to their homes. This "thank you for worshipping with us" is followed by a welcome letter from Dr. Dan Anderson-Little after a second visit.

The commission also hosts the membership inquiry classes. During 2004, twenty-four new members joined our congregation, including ten 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 Cathy Smith for recruiting sponsors, to Sally Dunn for coordinating the receptions, and to Kim Martin for hosting the brunch in her home. Thanks also to the members of the congregation who have served as sponsors for a new members.

As in previous years, we published flyers for special events and seasonal worship schedules for Easter and Christmas. We also advertised in the Southwestern Bell Smart (Yellow) Pages, and the University City Cityscape and Riverfront Times newspapers. Cathy Smith also 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.

I would like to extend my thanks to each member of the commission for joyfully and generously sharing their time and talents.

Respectfully submitted,
Beth David, Chairperson

The Facilities Commission enjoyed a very productive year in 2004. As usual, the normal and regular maintenance activities to the various services and physical plant of the church were completed. In addition, several projects to improve the appearance and usability of the church or to repair aging equipment were finished. These include:

• The replacement of the Sound System in the Sanctuary. This has been a significant improvement quality of worship and other activities in the sanctuary.
• Painting of the Upstairs hall, the rear stairs and down to the Dining Hall. Our thanks to Do Kirk for coordinating cleaning of the Net.
• Repainting the radiators in the Chapel and Narthex
• Refinishing the Pews in the church
• Repairs to the Air Conditioning unit downstairs.

In addition, the Commission contracted to have the outside property of the church maintained regularly, including mowing grass during the summer and removing snow in the winter.

The ongoing major project is the renovation of the bathrooms at the north end of the church under the Washington steps. This will be completed early in 2005. We look forward to beginning other projects in the new year, including updates to the other bathrooms in the lower level.

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 fifty 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, Ethel Scott, Art Platt, Roberta McBride and Jane Gibbons.

Respectfully submitted,
Jane Gibbons

Personnel Commission had a busy and productive year.

Projects which continued from 2003 were: Potluck meals with staff to build rapport and a relationship; updating the Personnel Manual as needed.

Dan, Paul and Janet set weekly office hours so that members can reach them at Trinity. These hours are:

Name	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Dan	8 - Noon	None	8 - 10:30 1 - 3	1 - 3	Off
Paul	Off	10 - Noon	Noon - 3	None	11 - 2
Janet	Noon - 4	2 - 4	Noon - 4	None	Off

In February the Personnel Commission suggested that a Governance Task Force be set up to determine a plan for rotation of members on and off of committees/commissions. The Task Force also came up with a plan for the recruitment of members for committees. Task Force members were Susan Rava, Kitty Underwood, George Sallwasser and Dan Anderson-Little. The Task Force met in the spring and presented their recommendations to the session in May.

The major task for Personnel this fall was writing a job description for Dan. He has not had one since becoming pastor of our church. Dan's new job description is available in the office.

Our commission has worked very hard this year, both in meetings and individually. Members have been available to support staff, to attend staff meetings, and have consistently been thoughtful and visionary in their input and focus throughout the year.

I want to thank each one for accepting the challenge and sharing their gifts which make the Personnel Commission a wonderful commission. The members are Sandy Norkaitis, Terry Crow, Tom Cobb, David Nelson, Karen Coletti and Kitty Underwood.

I would also like to thank David Nelson, for graciously agreeing to be the new Chairperson of Personnel.

Respectfully Submitted,

Janet Hoyne
Chairperson, Personnel Commission

The Worship and Music Commission is in place to assist the Minister and the Minister of Music plan and implement Sunday Worship and other services throughout the year. We also assist with the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion. We present rainbow ornaments to our infants at Baptism and arrange for elders to serve Communion, bake the communion bread and get the elements ready for Sunday's Communion Services. We thank Jean and George Sallwasser and Carol and Kathy Kramer for assuming this role the first Sunday of each month.

Last winter we conducted a survey of the Trinity family asking their views on our style and content of Sunday worship. We were not at all surprised to find the results that truly mirrored our congregation as we see it each and every Sunday. We are a truly blessed and diverse congregation and we have a variety of lifestyles, and while we have some definite ideas of what we like in Worship, we treasure the variety that we have. Copies of the results of the Survey were published in Trinity News and can also be obtained in the office.

We planned two Services that were a bit different this year. The Pentecost Service was a joyous celebration of the "Birthday of the Church" and included a dozen of our members who spoke the Pentecost passage in the Bible in their own native tongue or a language that they were fluent in. It proved to be a marvelous cacophony of sound...what God must hear every day in the prayers of His people. The Procession included members of the Confirmation class waving festive ribbons, and Dan carrying a bowl of fire. Many even dressed in red, orange and yellow, colors of the day.

On World Communion Sunday we celebrated with a Service that had a distinct Latin American theme. It featured music and liturgy in Spanish and in English. The Word was also interpreted through dance and was enjoyed by all.

We are blessed with the music each Sunday and appreciate the work from our choirs who offer their gifts on a weekly basis. Their offerings are their gifts to enhance our worship and are not to be confused with performances! The last Sunday of Advent was an opportunity for all of our choirs to give of themselves worship the new babe whose birth we would soon celebrate. Our "Sunday Morning Singers" under the direction of Karen Coletti sang a Christmas Cantata, the Bell Choir rang, the Trinity Choir sang as did the Festival Choir and the Women's quartet. We were accompanied by instrumentalists from the congregation.

An alternative worship service geared to the youth of the church is held monthly under the direction of Paul Devine. This is held at various members' homes and has a different format each month.

I would like to thank the members of this commission who meet monthly: Dan Anderson-Little, Paul Vasile, Virginia Bregitzer, Betty Burnett, Vicki Carmichael, Ruth Cobb, Brian Schroer, and Michael Wysession.

Respectfully submitted, Nancy Wagoner

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. The purpose has remained constant throughout the years.

During 2004, the Endowment Fund contributed $$$ towards Trinity's operating budget. The fund also contributed an additional $$$ towards Trinity's organ renovation project during 2004. An additional $$$ was contributed to purchase and install a new sound system for the church. The money for these contributions comes from income and capital appreciation of the Endowment Fund.

As of September 30, 2004, the most recent reporting period for which figures are available, the value of the Endowment Fund was $$$, a 0.2% increase compared with the value a year ago. The Fund received one new contribution during 2004 for $$$.

In 2005, the Fund plans to contribute $$$ toward the Church budget and has agreed to pay an additional $$$ toward the organ renovation project.

During 2004 Trinity Endowment Board initiated a new grant program to support projects that would lead to growth, vitality and enthusiasm of the Trinity congregation. The Endowment Board has appointed a Liaison Committee comprised of Andy Hoyne, Doug Peden, Henry Edmonds, and Susan Rava to work with groups desiring to submit grant requests under this program. Key aspects of this program (called "Vitality Grant Program") are the following:

The Endowment Board 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 an ex-officio member of the Board. During 2004, the officers of the Fund are: George Philips, President; Terry Crow, Vice President; Keith Fischer, Secretary/Treasurer. Other Board members are: Henry Edmonds, Andy Hoyne, Bob Klostermeier, Doug Peden, Susan Rava, George Salwasser, Ray Scholin, Cathy Smith and Marge Versprille.

The assets of the Fund 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 St. Louis 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,
George Philips, President

It has been a year of energy, growth, and excitement within the Board of Deacons again as we continue to clarify our responsibility to minister to those who are in need, sick, friendless, and to those who may be in distress both within and beyond our community of faith. 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. This has become evident as a couple of the outgoing deacons wanted to continue what they had been doing when they were on the board. We have seen continued growth in this area over the course of the year within the congregation, and have done what we can to foster that sense of community. We have fostered a sense of community also within the Board of Deacons, and generally start the meetings with a brief personal check in.

We have divided the board into a few different areas, but basically have encouraged and supported each other in being a deacon in the way that each person feels called individually to use their gifts:

1. Short term care which includes seeing that church members in need (hospitalization, illness, divorcing, job loss, deaths, new baby, etc.), are met. A process for communication was maintained for sort-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 continued a dispatch Deacon Position that shares this information with the rest of the deacons, and then set 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. We also continued the process of generating and providing meals to members at special times. This group also reviewed the membership of the church and identified elderly and homebound members, those with declining mobility, and those who are currently active, but whose condition could change. We have obtained information on community resources which could be information on community resources which could be useful to older adults in the congregation.
3. Other - which included one Deacon providing a ministry of prayer, and also included another deacon providing a telephone ministry, which broadened into a connecting and food ministry?

This year we tried to be more aware of those in the congregation who are in caretaking roles. We have also sent a delegate to the scheduled Session meetings.

Respectfully submitted,

Dawn Mahoney
Moderator

The FEAST (Fellowship, Eating and Sharing Together) group at Trinity has had a successful year. This monthly potluck dinner provides a time for socializing and fellowship for adults in their 20s and 30s. We are single and married, gay and straight, parents and non-parents who gather to get to know each other socially, support each other through joys and concerns, and have meaningful conversations about spiritual matters.

Different members of the group hosted the meal each month. A core group of about 6 people came every month and others joined us as their schedules allowed. We have had as few as 3 gather together and as many as 17. These gatherings have provided not only a time of fellowship for people experiencing similar life transitions, but a chance for participants to share with each other how their faith intersects with other aspects of their lives. Some discussion topics this year have included: reminiscence on the significance of Easter when growing up, the role of religion in personal voting choices, stereotypes of "Christians" and the challenges of conversations with more conservative Christians, etc.

Throughout the year, we also discussed the possible directions FEAST could take, taking into consideration the work and family commitments of most members, as well as the differing levels of interest in socializing, conversation on theological and spiritual matters, and sharing of joys and concerns.

This year, FEAST members organized an intergenerational Hanging of the Greens event on Saturday, Dec. 11, during Advent. Entitled "Preparation...Anticipation...and Celebration," we invited all members to join us for a series of fellowship opportunities, including Hanging of the Greens at 4 pm, a light chili supper at 5:30 pm, and a holiday concert by male and female quartets at 6:30pm. Activities included: a moment for worship, greens to be hung, crafts for kids, light refreshments, stories for the little ones, and music with Paul. We also collected kids' school supplies, personal care items and infant/toddler items for Charlotte Landrum and Spirit Sorenson's CSC Charities for Children, which support kids who are homeless or find themselves displaced because of violence in the home. About 40-50 people attended the hanging of the greens and about 60 gathered for the meal.

We look forward to gathering as a group in 2005 and together creating our vision of what FEAST can be.

Respectfully submitted,

Liz Nelson
FEAST Coordinator