The 10th Annual Worldwide Winter Solstice Chant for Peace will be happening around the world on December 20th /21st. Participate in a 1 hour chant for peace here at trinity, coordinated by the House of Mica Peace/Sound Chamber community in New York. Songs & chants from various traditions around the world will be taught. No experience necessary. Chapel: 7:30-9pm. Suggested donation ($7-$11 adults). Kids welcome. Bring a cushion to sit on; some chairs available.
Keys on a long colorful lanyard were left in the office. Describe to Liz and claim them.
Join us after worship Dec. 20 in the Chapel for our Christmas Cookie Coffee. This year, as we have fellowship we will also package and deliver cookies to those less fortunate. Please bring cookies to the Chapel on the 20th before worship. There will be opportunities to eat, package, deliver and clean up!
December 6, 2009 sermon by The Rev. Dr. Damayanthi Niles.
Damayanthi is the Associate Professor of Constructive Theology at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO.
[more]We all know what Christmas is-no one in our culture could miss it with the shopping frenzy that begins the day after Thanksgiving, all the ads and Christmas specials on TV, and then we have a federal holiday for it as well. As Christians, we also know what Christmas is: it's the day we celebrate God becoming human in Jesus Christ. It is one of the most profound understandings of our faith and therefore it is one of the most important celebrations of the year. But what about the seasons that sandwich Christmas-what about Advent and Epiphany? While many in the church know what these are, many outside of the church do not.
Advent is the season that leads us to Christmas. Traditionally it was a time of penance and mourning. Christians used to fast (from meat and other rich foods) during Advent only to break their fast on the Feast Day of the Nativity also known as Christmas. Advent has traditionally been a dark and brooding time-a time when we recall the ways that our world in need in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. We read prophetic passages from the Old Testament that not only acknowledge that we live in harsh times, but also promise God's coming Redeemer. One of the ways we move to the promise of Christmas is by lighting candles on an Advent wreath-each candle brings more light into the Sanctuary and into our lives until the Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve.
This year at Trinity, our worship theme that will carry us from Advent to Epiphany is Jesus Christ, Light of the World. In Advent we will focus on four global issues that cause so many people in our local community and around the world to "walk in darkness." On November 29, the first Sunday of Advent, our theme will be HIV/AIDS which coincides with World AIDS Day on December 1. Not only will we mourn the devastation that HIV/AIDS has caused in the lives of so many in our country and around the world and pray for those afflicted by this dreadful disease, we will also remember those who have died by displaying two panels from AIDS Memorial Quilt. These quilt panels will serve as a part of our Advent/Christmas decorations for the month of December. On December 6 our theme will be Terrorism and our guest preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Damayanthi Niles. Damayanthi's sermon will be her reflection on the terrorist attack that took place in Mumbai, India one year ago. On December 13 our topic will be Homelessness. We will focus not only on the problem, but on how we are called to respond. On December 20 our topic is Hunger. On that day we will collect our annual Food Pantry offering.
These are all serious and sobering topics-the very kind of topics that we need to give voice to in Advent. But these will not be depressing or discouraging services-for while we focus on the gloomy clouds that shadow our world in Advent, we also look forward to Christmas when Jesus, the Light of World is born.
Our Christmas Eve celebration happens in two lessons and carol services, one at 5:00 p.m. and the other at 11:00 p.m. The 5:00 service is our "no-shushing" service and has proved to be popular with families with small children. Both services are appropriate for people of all ages-and these are great services to invite friends to.
Our Jesus Christ, Light of the World celebration will not end on Christmas Eve, but we will carry that theme through to Epiphany. The word "epiphany" means revealing of God-and it follows the Twelfth Day of Christmas. Traditionally the story of Wise Men is read that day as we celebrate the light and life of Jesus Christ being revealed to all the world. We will have a celebration of light on January 3.
As a kid, Christmas was always one of my favorite holidays of the year. I loved the music, the presents, the family and the food. Our church year gives us a great opportunity for us to discover new meaning of the Nativity as we move our way to Bethlehem in Advent and as we linger with the Wise Men on Epiphany.
Sunday, 11/29
10:30 a.m. Worship - First Sunday of Advent; THEME: HIV/AIDS Featured
scripture: Preacher: Rev. Julie March
Tuesday, 12/1
Presbyterian Women Christmas dinner gathering, 6:30 p.m., Dining Room
Sunday, 12/6
10:30 a.m. Worship - Second Sunday of Advent. THEME: Terrorism, Celebration of Holy Communion. Preacher: Rev. Dr. Damayanthi Niles.
Saturday, 12/12
St. Louis Baroque: Christmas Music from Colonial Mexico, Sanctuary, 7:30 p.m., $15/$10 (seniors and students). St. Louis Baroque presents a holiday concert featuring Christmas cantatas and songs from colonial Mexico. The concert will feature vocalists Nancy Bristol, Jessica Heuser and Samantha Swanson singing duets and trios celebrating the nativity story. The instrumental ensemble includes baroque violins and baroque guitar and includes William Bauer and Celina Boldrey, baroque violins and Jeffrey Noonan, baroque guitar and theorbo.
Sunday, 12/13
10:30 a.m. Worship - Third Sunday of Advent. THEME: Homelessness, Preacher: Dan Anderson-Little.
Sunday, 12/20
10:30 a.m. Worship - Fourth Sunday of Advent. THEME: Hunger.
Christmas Cookie Fellowship after Worship - Congregational refreshment time while packaging and delivering cookies that day to local homeless and social service programs. (more information...)
Monday, 12/21
OASIS Older Adult Band holiday concert, 6 p.m., Dining Room, Free
10th Annual Worldwide Winter Solstice Chant for Peace. Participate in a 1 hour chant for peace (worldwide the chant is 24 hours), coordinated by the House of Mica Peace/Sound Cham ber community in New York. Songs & chants from various traditions around the world. Chapel: 7:30-9pm.
Thursday, 12/24
Christmas Eve Family Service (No-Shushing), 5:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of Lessons & Carols, 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 20, will be a special day of celebration as we enlarge our traditional Advent Candlelight Coffee Hour to include sharing with our neighbors in the community. Here is the plan:
There will be much to do - baking, assembling, delivering, visiting, as we share this Fourth Advent Sunday. Watch for more details and mark your calendars now!
On Monday, December 21, at 7:30 p.m., participate in the 10th Annual Worldwide Winter Solstice Chant for Peace. This one-hour chant for peace is coordinated by the House of Mica Peace/Sound Chamber community in New York. Songs and chants from various traditions around the world. No experience necessary. Weems Chapel, 7:30-9 p.m..
This year, Trinity's Advent book of reflections is a compilation of highlights from years past. In an effort to save costs, we will send books to all out of town members and those receiving Advent bags. A pile will be in the Narthex for your taking. It is already available on the church website.
At some point we have all wondered why attendance at mainline churches, even theologically and socially progressive churches such as our own, has been slowly and inexorably declining. We are concerned; we are worried; but we don't really understand. If people are indeed spiritual, why aren't they religious? Join us as we explore this topic. We will use emergent pastor Dan Kimball's DVD educational series, "They Like Jesus but not the Church," as the jumping off point for our discussion and exploration of the "spiritual but not religious" phenomenon. Led by members Lisa Bernhard and Diane O'Brien. December 6-December 20, 9:30 a.m., Chapel.
Rapid Re-housing. The non-profit organization Employment Connection is implementing the Rapid Re-Housing Program, a St. Louis County program funded by HUD. This program assists individuals who are currently homeless in securing housing by providing rental, utility, and security deposit assistance. The program does not provide funds for furniture or household products, and clients usually have nothing when they are placed in housing. For this reason, Rapid Re-Housing clients are in need of donations (furniture, household products, and toiletries). We hope the Trinity congregation can help Rapid Re-Housing clients fill their homes with basic belongings and items. Check your bulletins, newsletters and emails for requests as needs arise!
University City schools update. Rev. Bill Lorenz and a small group of Trinity members have begun talking with University City school officials and principals about ways in which Trinity volunteers can help strengthen the district. Stay tuned for ways you can participate in activities or volunteer opportunities.
CROP update. We raised $1,085 for CROP at Trinity, beating our goal of $1000, but not quite reaching the $1,900 we donated last year. The money goes to help feed the hungry in the St. Louis area.
Food pantry/turkey update. A note from Stacey Carman: GOBBLE!! GOBBLE!! THANK YOU TRINTY MEMBERS!!! Because of your generous donations, we were able to hand out 89 turkeys, 50 bags of stuffing and cranberry sauce and 44 sets of our regular bagged food. We also handed out 50+ bags of Sara Lee bread that was donated by the daughter of a couple who are members. Thank you all for helping make the holidays a little brighter for families in need. Our numbers in the past 6 weeks have increased dramatically so donations are welcome more than ever.
Habitat for Humanity. See below!
We finished Sheronda Tate's home with some landscaping work on Saturday, October 24. The home was dedicated and she received her keys, a bible, and a homeowners manual Wednesday, October 14. She moved in shortly after that, with her mother and her 4-year old son. Sheronda prepared delicious food-homemade pizza and stuffed shells-for a housewarming party on Saturday, October 24. Members of the sponsoring churches brought food, drinks, and gifts. We Trinity members gave her a $50 gift card to use as she continues furnishing her home.
I have a great picture of Sheronda, standing with two new friends at her back door, which she was painting that day. Sheronda is wearing the blue shirt, identifying her as a home buyer. Wendy, standing next to her, bought her Habitat house in the Jefferson-Vander-Lou neighborhood about one mile further north, in 2004 or 2006, I am not sure which. Sandy, sitting, bought her Habitat house in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood in 2001. They both volunteer Saturdays to give back to others as their volunteers gave to them. Wendy has come almost every Saturday this year. (see the picture in the the .PDF version of the Trinity News)
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This congregation heard the Call to Stewardship and answered "Here We Are Lord"! At last count, 92 pledges have been turned in, totaling more than $260,000 committed for 2010. This is a great start to our campaign, especially in these trying times. It's particularly exciting that we have more than a dozen new pledges from members or friends of the church - our ministry and spiritual community is growing as we speak! The Session is working hard to eliminate the budget deficit and expand mission efforts, and increased pledging is essential to achieve that goal and help their planning. We are on target to exceed the number of pledgers and total amount pledged compared to 2009, but to make this goal a reality we need everyone's support.
If you haven't renewed your pledge yet, or if you are considering making a pledge for the first time, please do so now. Simply contact Linde Baechle, our Financial Administrator, by calling or sending her an email with your name and the amount of your pledge (beckjeffries@yahoo.com). If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with anyone on the Stewardship committee (Jenn Clodi, Sarah Hotaling, Brian Muegge, Rob Peglar, Larry Pontious, Evan Reid).
On a recent trip to New York and Boston we had great visits with former Trinity members Paul Vasile and Dawn and Jim Mahoney. Paul is thriving in New York City with its rich musical and social resources. Dawn and Jim live a block from the beach in a beautiful part of New Hampshire in a house they are renovating (rebuilding?). All said to give their greetings to people at Trinity. (see the .PDF version of the Trinity News for pictures)
We would like to welcome Ed and Christine Chen into the Trinity family. Christine is a pediatrician at Mercy Pediatrics at St. Johns. Ed, currently a family practitioner at a St. Johns clinic in Crestwood will be moving to their new office in Kirkwood. Ed and Christine went to medical school at Saint Louis University. Christine discovered Trinity during medical school when looking for a church home and then introduced Ed to Trinity. Both enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, the diversity and Pastor Dan. During their residencies, they spent a month in Botswana working at a clinic for children with HIV. After a year in San Antonio for residencies, they returned to St. Louis and to Trinity. Both Ed and Christine enjoy the outdoors, mountain biking, hiking, and running two marathons together. They live in Kirkwood with their dog, Billie, and a cat named Nirk.
When Cathy Smith asked us to sponsor Ed and Christine, Christine's name sounded very familiar to me but it took a bit to place her as we had not met at Trinity. I soon figured out that she was the doctor in our pediatrician's office that had treated our daughter Mia a couple weeks before. We were very pleased with her care. We welcome Ed and Christine and encourage each of you to get to know them better too.
- Matt & Christy Schindler
I'd like to introduce to you the Brown family - Dana, Scott and Franki. Their home was warm and inviting, with glowing jack-o-lanterns awaiting my arrival on a damp, dreary October evening. We spent some time getting to know each other and playing with Franki before her bedtime. Dana has a degree in Social Work and currently works for Magellan Health Services in Earth City. She was born in Ohio but moved to St. Louis when she was a toddler. Her father lives in Ballwin, but her mother passed away a few years ago. Scott is employed at the Polsinelli, Shughart law firm in Clayton. He is originally from New Jersey, moving here in the mid-'90's. Scott's extended family is located in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Franki currently attends pre-school at Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis, and would love to one day have a puppy which she intends to name Buttercup. One look into Franki's big, bright eyes and your heart will surely melt. (Please take a moment to ask her on what special day her birthday happens to fall!) The family hobbies include papercrafting, bowling and visiting area parks to discover the joys of each new playground. Taking life just one day at a time is this young family's motto; spending time together is their greatest pleasure. While Dana's religious background was initially shaped by the Catholic Church, Scott has always been a Presbyterian. They have been seeking a church home for more than two years, and were drawn to Trinity's love of diversity. In time, they hope to find their own personal niche here. Please join me in welcoming this lovely family into Trinity's midst and ministry.
- Elaine Pontious
My path has been crossing with Kim Seip for the past three years, in school settings and as neighbors on Trinity Ave., and I welcome her and her two kids to Trinity. Kim grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA. She lived in Washington D.C. and Nashville before coming to the St. Louis area in 2000 with her husband, Fred. Kim was a teacher prior to starting her family and enjoys gardening her large garden, golfing, and travel. She describes Fred as a "recovering Catholic" and rare church goer, but hopes that the warm welcome she has felt at Trinity will make him consider attending. Fred is an IT consultant who went to Southwestern University in Texas and Vanderbilt Business School. Connor, 9, is in third grade at Captain School in Clayton and loves karate. Shelby, 7, is in second grade at Delmar Harvard (she and Karl are in the same class), was adopted five years ago from Ukraine and is an excellent golfer. They found out about Trinity from us Nelsons and Joan Wysession and decided to join Trinity because of the warm, welcoming atmosphere, great music and wonderful people. Before moving to University City three and a half years ago, they were active in New Hope Presbyterian church.
Please join me in welcoming Kim, Connor and Shelby to Trinity. - Liz Nelson
On Sunday, November 8, the Trinity congregation held a sending ceremony for Shanthi Philips as she begins a 27-month tour with Peace Corps in the African country of Lesotho. Shanthi will teach math at a high school in the mountainous African nation. This will be a quite a change from her work as a actuary that she has done for the past three years. Please keep Shanthi in your prayers as she serves on this extended mission trip. If you want to keep up with Shanthi you can read her blog at http://shanthiphilips.blogspot.com.
Shanthi said her aspirations are to do something fulfilling with her time, to make a difference in someone's life, to help others who have not had the same opportunities that she has in her life, to do something she can be proud of and that others can be proud of her for, to gain experiences and learn things she can use for the rest of my life. "I want to have an adventure. I want to learn how other people in the world live, and relate to them on a personal level. I want this experience to shape who I am and make me a better person."
It's hard to imagine an individual more active and involved in the life of Trinity Presbyterian Church than David Nelson. As a Trinity member for eight years, Dave has answered the call to serve God and God's people in a multitude of ways. Many of you know Dave as a gourmet cook extraordinaire, but his skills and passions show up in many other areas as well.
A great deal of Dave's time, energy and service has been put into Equipping Ministry, a Trinity ministry that seeks to draw Trinity members closer together in prayer, fellowship, study and service and to reach out to the surrounding community and the world. Dave was a member of the team who studied the staffing and mission of Trinity and discerned that Equipping Ministry was a promising new venture for Trinity and its members. Dave continues to be very active in Equipping Ministry by serving on the Equipping Ministry Team, working on Equipping projects, planning the new small group initiative called B&B's (Bonding and Bridging), and serving as a liaison for one of our first B&B groups. Dave also administers the blog for the B&B small group ministry, has helped organize mission fairs for the congregation and brought green practices to Trinity.
Dave serves as a teacher of our children in our Spiritual Growth program, is a current member of the Session, heads up the Peace Prayer Team, and has organized, cooked and served at many of Trinity fellowship events, such as the Maundy Thursday dinner and the church picnic. Dave was a founding member of Trinity's Welcoming Team, and a current member of the Evangelism and Welcoming Commission, and has also served on and chaired the Personnel Commission. Dave is also active in the community volunteering in many capacities at Delmar-Harvard elementary school which his children attend. As a husband and father, Dave is married to Trinity Church Administrator, Liz Nelson, and their children Karl and Julia are also very involved at Trinity.
The very essence of Equipping Ministry is love and service for God and for others, and these gifts are from God. The Apostle Paul wrote the members of the Ephesian Church: "The gifts Jesus gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." God continues to pour out these gifts on us, and Dave Nelson's ministry at Trinity Presbyterian Church inspires us all to reach out and use our own gifts for ministry.
Why should the adults have all the fun? Bonding and Bridging small groups (B & Bs) have been running for adults since early summer. But a few months ago, Minister of Music Vicki Carmichael and member Karen Coletti decided to create a Bonding & Bridging small group experience for 3rd through 6th graders. They gather three weeks per month after worship for a time of food ("BnB" for them stands for BrowN Baggers), music, improv games and art. They have sung and played chimes in worship and have prayer partners. To them, bridging and bonding are ways they learn to love other people.
Vicki shared with me the results of one of their discussions about what "bridging" and "bonding" means to them:
These young people have insight from which we can all learn. They will continue to explore how to live out and share these ideas with each other, with the church family, and with others in the world through their group activities and projects. If you have kids interested in joining this BnB group, please talk to Vicki or Karen.
As was mentioned during a recent Sunday service, members of Trinity will again be participating as part of a mission service team to Guatemala under the auspices of The God's Child Project. The inter-denominational team is currently being formed and will include members of multiple St. Louis churches who have been before, as well as those who will participate for the first time. The dates of the 2010 trip are Tuesday, February 23 through Thursday, March 4.
During the 10 days in Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala, the team will be building simple homes (no previous building experience required !) for families whose children are involved with the educational programs provided by the project. In addition to the building effort (supervised by local foremen who know all the details about what to build and how to build it), team members will also have the opportunity to experience other aspects of The God's Child Project, including clothing distribution, the homeless shelter, and the malnutrition center. Living with local families as well helps to provide each participant with a more complete picture of life in this struggling Central American country.
If you have any interest in making this exceptional journey, any of the Trinity participants (Pat Courtney, Dayna Early, Nancy and Bob Wagoner) would be glad to answer any questions you may have. I think all would describe this trip providing service to our Guatemalan brothers and sisters as truly a "life-changing" experience! If you feel "the call", please don't hesitate to inquire....you won't regret it. For those who want to support the project but don't feel able to make the trip, we will notify you of potential items that can be donated that we can take with us for distribution to the families.
Many of you are aware that in May, Trinity Presbyterian Church launched a new worship service called The Commons. This service is an effort to share the love of Jesus Christ and the values of Trinity Church with folks who connect with a style of worship different from that offered at our Sunday morning service.
The service, largely run by a planning team of members and friends of Trinity, has helped us explore alternative ways to structure a worship service and connect with people who are looking for something less traditional. As the service recently reached the six month point, the planning team assessed how the service was going and whether the goals for the service were being met.
As the team went through the process of assessment and reflection, the members identified many things that were rich and fulfilling. We also identified areas where change and new directions are needed. Because we have had such profound and enriching experiences through the planning and participation aspects of this service, we are firmly committed to moving forward with the service, though perhaps in a new direction. We feel that we have already accomplished something both difficult and exhilarating- the creation and completion of phase one of building a new worship experience. We are now at the point where we think some redirection, with an increased emphasis on spreading the reach of the service, is not only wise, but vital. We are therefore taking a short sabbatical from the weekly hosting of the Commons, so that we have the time, focus, and energy to shepherd The Commons into its next phase. We hope that this time off is brief and that we will reemerge with a service whose appeal and reach are broad.
I am thrilled at the vision, faith and hard work that the planning team has poured into this effort. This ministry has two important dynamics that I believe are important to everything we are currently doing and will be doing at Trinity in the future. One, the group tried something new. We often want to know if something is going to be a success before we try it. The planning group, with no guarantee of success and few resources (other than passion and hard work) decided to try their idea out. The future of church will be built on such experiments.
The second dynamic that the group adopted was one of ongoing assessment and renovation. Rather than continuing without reflection, the planning group examined its goals, its work and its vision and critically evaluated how well all of them matched up. When it was clear that some refinements were needed, they made the hard decision to suspend the service temporarily, in the belief that this was necessary for the desired growth of the service. It would have been far easier to maintain the status quo or call it quits. But, this group is composed of people who are not only dedicated but stubborn, so please support them and this effort during this transitional period. For this effort to be successful and reach those beyond our purple doors, the love, prayers, and full-throated support of the entire Trinity community will be needed.
Please continue to pray for The Commons Planning Team. We have a lot of work ahead and trust that God will get us where we need to be. (Members of The Commons Planning Team are Lisa Bernhard, Diane O'Brien, Jim Person, Kate Shoemaker, Paul Devine, Barb Rand, Daniel Anderson-Little, Connie Toretta and Dan Rubright.)
(Click here for Advent calendar)
Mondays, 12/14, 12/28 - Genesis House Bible Study, 1 pm, Youth Lounge
Tuesdays - Presbyterian Women, 11am, Dining Room
Wednesdays - 1-4 pm, Winger Food Pantry, Dining Room
Thursdays - Trinity Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm. 7pm-9:20pm
Thursdays - Bell Choir rehearsal, Choir Rm., 5:30-6:45pm
Sundays, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20 - kid small (BrowNBag) group, 11:45am-12:45pm, Rm. 206
Sundays, 12/13, 12/27 - Wild with Words writing group, 6:30 pm, Chapel
Tuesday, 12/1- Presbyterian Women's Christmas dinner 6pm, Dining Rm. Bring a salad or dessert to share & white elephant gift to exchange.
Wednesday, 12/2 - Session meeting, 7 pm, Chapel
Monday, 12/7 - Facilities Meeting, 9am, library
Tuesday, 12/8- Deacons potluck, 6 pm, Roman house (verify with Joanne)
Saturday, 12/12 - Confirmation class @ Trinity, 5-7:15 pm
Thursday, 12/17-Festival Choir Messiah selections rehearsal, 7pm-9:20pm
Thursday, 12/24 - choir call time 10:15 p.m. for 11:00 worship service
Ongoing Mission: Rapid Re-housing - Trinity has partnered with this organization to provide household items needed for families moving from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Needed: Appliances, kitchen items, linens, toiletries, furniture. Questions & coordination: Liz Nelson and Emily Ehrhart (wife of member Brian Jeter): brjeter@gmail.com
Please contact Stacey with your questions: carmans@swbell.net