Trinity Habitat House Build Near Completion. Bolivia Mission Team Returns See Nathan Carden s Personal Word, inside on page 2. Inside this issue:

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1 TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH July 16, 2013 Vol. 47 No. 29 Inside this issue: Habitat Dedication 3 Mission & Outreach 4 Who? Completed 3rd - 5th grade students What? Three awesome nights designed especially for older elementary students to venture into God s word with fun music, Bible stories, service activities and recreation. [ Cost: $10 per student ] Saint Junia Update 4 Share Your Story 5 Calendar of Events 7 When? August 5-7 (Mon-Wed) from 6:00-8:30 pm (Dinner will be served) Register now! Forms available online at summer-programs-2013/ For questions or to volunteer to help, contact Jeanne Baswell at or jbaswell@trinitybirmingham.com. Bolivia Mission Team Returns See Nathan Carden s Personal Word, inside on page 2 Back Row (L-R): Matt Hooper, Jenny Mahaffey, Gene Donaldson, Elaine Haskins, Marcia Ward, Leslie Bethea, Ken Stalnaker, Laura Denver, Katie Fox, Nathan Carden (Front row): Ama Shambulia, Kim Pruitt Trinity Habitat House Build Near Completion See inside for more information and how you can help...

2 PERSONAL WORD Sunday, JULY 21, :45 & 11:00 AM Sanctuary The 8:45 AM worship service is broadcast via 15-minute delay from 9-10 AM Sundays on WAPI-1070 AM & FM SERMON Dr. Andrew Wolfe Sermon Series: Good to Great Dream Great Dreams MUSIC 8:45 AM & 11:00 AM The Peterson Family MINISTER On call Bobby Scales, wesley hall 11:15 AM Rev. Nathan Carden Sermon Series: You. Me. We. Committed A look at july 14 1,093 Worship Attendance 642 Sunday School Attendance Bolivia At 4:00 AM on Saturday, July 6, 12 Methodist Christians from Birmingham, gathered in the darkness in Trinity s parking lot to load baggage into a church van and set off to the airport, taxied by the gracious service of Kirk Mills. With sleep in our eyes and nervous anticipation in our thoughts, we set off to Bolivia for 7 days of mission work and cultural immersion. 21 hours later, exhausted and grateful, we checked into our rooms at Hotel Pinocho in Montero, Bolivia. The next morning, rested and energized, we began to learn the city and evaluate and plan for the work that lay ahead of us. Over the next five days, we worked in the Methodist School in Montero, weeding, planting and tending to the school gardens, constructing a small foot-bridge and gate to access the gardens, and helped with the renovation of a classroom and the furniture for it. Additionally, three nurses from our team worked with a medical clinic to give 200 influenza inoculations in a Bolivian prison, and to 120 in a local orphanage. We also had the privilege of visiting two orphanages and purchasing souvenirs made by the boys and girls; the proceeds of which went to help support their meager livelihood. We rounded out the final two days of our trip by traveling to Samaipata to experience Bolivian mountain culture. The tastes, smells, sights, sounds and feel of that beautiful land filled our senses at each turn. Yet, as different as the cultural landscape is there, we constantly found ourselves drawing parallels to the challenges and successes present here in Birmingham. This renewed our commitment to embody our mission, not just outside U.S. borders, but in our churches, communities, and families. As can be the case with all mission work, foreign or domestic, we faced some unexpected surprises and our plans had to be modified. But our church family can take great pride in the way these team members invested themselves in hard work, creative improvisation, and compassionate patience. And I believe that much was accomplished both through the work we engaged and the way that work continues to work within us. Now, as our team is unpacking our belongings, not surprisingly, we find that unpacking the experience in our hearts and minds will take much longer. While we went to serve others, we found that we ourselves were served even more. And while we learned much about a rich and diverse culture, we learned just as much about ourselves. On behalf of our team, I thank you for offering your prayers, letters of encouragement, and financial generosity that made possible our participation in God s ongoing work in Bolivia. In Christ, Nathan Carden information for guests & new members Welcome to Trinity United Methodist Church! Our mission is to Gather people to Christ, Grow people in Christ, Go to serve Christ in the world and Glorify Christ. Sunday Worship Opportunities: 8:45 & 11:00 AM Traditional services in the sanctuary, offering same sermon and a variety of music. 11:15 AM CONTACT a relaxed, informal, service in Wesley Hall featuring praise music from the CONTACT Band, children are encouraged to attend. 10:00 AM Sunday School Ages 2 years and up. Nursery is provided during all services. Interested in Membership? Please join us the first Sunday of every month in the large parlor for Coffee with the Pastor. This is a time to meet the pastoral staff, ask questions and learn more about the core values and mission of Trinity. We also encourage you to attend Membership 101, a basic orientation prior to joining Trinity. It is offered on the second Sunday of each month. Contact Rev. Drew Holland at dholland@trinitybirmingham.com or call with any questions. Andrew Wolfe Senior Minister Suzanne Pruitt Minister of Christian Formation Drew Holland Minister of Welcoming Ministries and Young Adults Nathan Carden Minister of Outreach, Contact David Thompson Minister of Students Bobby Scales Minister of Pastoral Care & Visitation Mack Chapman Minister of Administration Church Office: , Fax Care Line: Child Development Center:

3 vacation bible school off to a rockin start on monday morning! kingdom rock... Where kids stand strong for God! Over 500 children and over 150 adult and youth volunteers packed the main Sanctuary on Monday morning, July 15, to kickoff another fun filled week of Vacation Bible School. Habitat House Build Nears Completion Dedication Scheduled for July 27, 9 AM Volunteer Update: There are openings for volunteers on Saturday, July 20 for landscaping and cleanup, inside and out. The dedication of the house will be held on Saturday, July 27 at 9:00 AM. All Trinity members and friends are invited to attend. The home is located in the Clay- Chalkville Area on Colonial Cove, Birmingham, AL Since the time the framing started on the house, there have been over 350 volunteers serving along side Kim Toler, the homeowner. Some have worked several days and many have been there nearly every Saturday. In Memory of Ken Johnson The work on the house has drawn many friends of Ken Johnson, in whose memory the house is being built. Scripture verses that reminded folks of Ken and the way Ken lived his life were written on the boards used to frame the house. Not only is the house well built, but it is built on a strong foundation and has been lifted in prayer constantly! Ken s son, Wesley, has invested much sweat and enthusiasm into the house, working every Saturday, except one! (Wesley is pictured right.) GIVE. You may still donate in two ways: 1) By check. Make payable to Trinity and clearly mark the check for Habitat Build. 2) Online. Log on to and follow the Habitat Build links to easily and securely donate through your PayPal account or by credit card. 3

4 mission & outreach BHN S 12th ANNUAL FUNDRAISER - thusrday, july 25 The BHN (Birmingham Hospitality Network) Annual Fundraiser Reception and Silent Auction will be held on July 25 at Ted s Garage (2309 5th Ave. South). Doors open at 6 PM and the live auction starts at 7:30 PM. Food, drinks, and live music are included. The cost is a $40 donation and tickets will be sold in the Main and East Narthex outside of the Sanctuary and in the Contact welcome area Sunday, July 21st. If you d like to donate items, or have questions regarding the event, please contact Amanda Robinson at amanda.e.robinson@gmail.com Have a question about Trinity s Mission & Outreach? Please contact Rev. Nathan Carden at or ncarden@trinitybirmingham.com. CONTACT Sermon Series July 21 - Committed July 28 - Connected August 4 - Called Whether you are single, married, or divorced, we all need God s Spirit to help us learn how to love unconditionally - mirrored after the love Christ has for his bride, the Church. In this Contact Worship series, we will look at how God s Spirit can help us live out our faith first in the relationships that define us most intimately. For the next three Sundays, plan to join us for a look at how our faith can define our relationships, moving us from You and Me, to We. Saint Junia New Church Update From Dave Barnhart For more info, log on to: Hi, friends! At Saint J, I like to talk about 5 areas of discipleship: worship, devotion, compassion, justice, and witness. As I looked over all the stuff coming up in the next few weeks, I was thrilled to see that we re living out what we preach! WORSHIP: I m looking forward to moving from preview mode to weekly worship, which begins on August 11. This is another milestone in our church s growth, so it presents another good opportunity for our folks to INVITE. We ll be reprising our themes and music, tweaked and polished, from our preview services. Podcasts of past sermons are here: saintjunia.org/?cat=23 DEVOTION: Shortly after we begin weekly worship, I ll be announcing the dates of our first Intro to Saint Junia dinner and a discipleship class. This will be for folks who are interested in joining to learn a bit about the mission, vision, and history of both Saint Junia and the United Methodist Church. COMPASSION: We ve already been involved in several cool missional activities, and we re building a storage shed for Girls, Inc. this weekend. But I m really looking forward to the last Sunday in September, which is Magic City Miracle. We will partner with Trinity and other United Methodist Churches all over Birmingham to do service projects in our own neighborhoods and communities. JUSTICE: As part of the Sidewalk Film Festival, on August 21 at 7 PM, we re going to be screening the Spike Lee documentary 4 Little Girls, about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church fifty years ago. This will be an event open to the public, and if you don t come to our event at Girls, Inc., I hope you will seek out a venue to attend and discuss. The Sidewalk info is here: WITNESS: Several times this summer our family will be hosting an elbow event, a backyard movie night. There s only one rule for people who come: you have to bring a friend! These elbow events are simply social times when people who are not involved in church can meet casually with folks who are. Then when you invite someone to come to worship, they already know people they will see there. This kind of invitational evangelism is really just about making new friends and loving them like Jesus, who, Luke reports, loved a good party. I wish every Sunday school class and small group, both at Saint Junia and every UMC, would make this kind of evangelism a priority! Throw a party! What a great opportunity God gives us just by asking us to love people and extend them radical hospitality. 4 wesley hall 11:15 AM Rev. NATHAN CARDEN As Andy says, It s a busy time! I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer! Dave Barnhart

5 ARM - Alabama Rural Ministries We want to hear what God has done in your life and how Trinity has been part of that. Your stories encourage all of us. To submit your story, go to and click on Stories. Keeping Your Hands Dirty Keeps Your Heart Clean A story from SOS, Service Over Self By: Caroline Hare In June, Element Student Ministry took 35 high school students to SOS (Service Over Self ) in Memphis. In July, we will take a second group, with 106 total students in attendance. SOS is an organization with a mission to make homes in Memphis warmer, safer and dryer. Every homeowner involved with SOS is guaranteed a new roof, and then additional work is done inside homes and on properties after the roofs are finished. Our students truly built bonds with each other over the days spent at SOS. I have received s, texts and calls from parents commenting that their student came home changed. Students have shared about the trip and even opened up about personal things with their parents. A special story from the June SOS trip is one about a man named Mr. Isaiah. On the second day on the worksite, Mr. Isaiah came to visit. He saw the SOS sign in the yard and decided to stop by. When he asked the students what church they were with and was told Trinity, he immediately started asking about certain students by name. He even recalled what sports they were involved with, like golf and volleyball! Mr. Isaiah had his house worked on by our team several years ago. He came back again to the worksite another day bearing in his arms Ryder Andrews, Mr. Isaiah and Harry Clark at a home worksite in Memphis. his worn scrap book our students had helped make him. He showed pictures of the progress of the work that was done on his house, of our youth team who had worked on it, and even the sweet notes they had written him. Obviously our students made an impact not just on his house that year, but on his heart. They showed him the heart of Christ through serving. Ben Hancock, one of our former students who is working at SOS this summer, was a team leader for the week. At one of our lunch time devotions as we were picking at our tar encrusted fingers he said, keeping your hands dirty keeps your heart clean. I could not agree with him more. Trips like this help to refocus our students. From the moment you arrive at SOS, you experience what it means to serve others over your self. Everything from the staff carrying in your luggage, to serving the person on your left at dinnertime, to hammering nails on a hot roof, to meeting people like Mr. Isaiah we experience the true meaning of service. [ Caroline Hare is a Trinity member and serves as one of Trinity s Student Youth Directors. She can be reached at chare@trinitybirmingham.com.] H Save the date for Grow Sunday! Sunday, August 18 Grow with us! under the Big Top H Children - 10 AM in the Gym Youth - 10 AM in the Haven H 5

6 meet the staff Trinity Prayer Garden and Columbarium Did You Know? July 15, 2013 The Columbarium is composed of a series of vaults called niches each niche holds two urns. Not only your immediate family members, but also your extended family are eligible for inurnment in the Columbarium. The Prayer Graden & Columbarium has a special memorial wall. If loved ones are buried or inurned elsewhere, there is still an opportunity for them to be remembered by listing their names permanently on the Memorial Panel. Niches may be purchased for $3,200 each if purchased in full. Niches are $3,400 each if the installment option is chosen, with a deposit of at least $250. If you are interested, or would like more information on the purchase of niches or Memorial Panel inscriptions, please contact Ann Neptune in the church office at , or aneptune@trinitybirmingham.com. Like most of us, the disciples of Jesus didn t want to settle for mediocrity, they wanted greatness. They wanted to do great things. And note, Jesus does not berate them for their desire for greatness. What he does instead is give them a new paradigm of how to achieve greatness and of what greatness looks like. The disciple s story, along with many others in the Bible, is the story of how God took rather ordinary, good-enough folks, and did extraordinary and great things with them. You are invited to join us in traditional worship at 8:45 & 11:00 AM for a series of sermons from Andy Wolfe on Good to Great. July 21 Good To Great: Dream Great Dreams July 28 Good To Great: Seek Great People Aug. 4 Good To Great: Take Great Risks Aug. 11 Good To Great: Practice Great Love 6 Donna Roose Receptionist Meet Donna Roose For almost 5 years, Donna has served as Trinity s Receptionist. She greets all guests to the church office and answers and directs phone calls. In addition, she keeps the church calendar and books church vehicles. She maintains Sunday School records and is in charge of all honorariums and memorials donated to the church. Donna grew up in Birmingham, is a retired middle school English teacher and has happily been married to Ted Roose for 39 years. Donna and Ted have two grown children, a daughter, Bethany, and a son, Tad, and a daughter-in-law, Gina. She is the proud grandmother of Will Roose (3 years old) and Laura Roose (3 months old). Donna and Ted are members of the Asbury Class. She has served at Trinity by teaching Sunday School, facilitating small group studies, helping with various events and filling in wherever there is a need. Donna enjoys reading, working crossword puzzles, traveling and walking their rescue dog, Libby Lu. Her favorite thing is spending time with her family. One of Donna s favorite Bible passages is from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, which begins, To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...

7 highlighted events this week Sunday - July 21 8:45 AM Traditional Worship - SANC 10:00 AM Sunday School - various 11:00 AM Traditional Worship - SANC 11:15 AM CONTACT Worship - WHALL 5:00 PM Sr. Adult Bible Study - SP Monday - July 22 6:30 AM Men s Breakfast Study - SDR 8:00 AM Senior Adult Activities - Various 8:30 AM Mouat Chapel Open for Prayer 5:30 PM Hannah s Friends - SP Tuesday - July 23 8:00 AM Senior Adult Activities - various 8:30 AM Mouat Chapel Open for Prayer 10:00 AM Mama & Me - Nursery 11:00 AM Youth Lunch Club - Haven Wednesday - July 24 8:00 AM Senior Adult Activities - Various 8:30 AM Mouat Chapel Open for Prayer 9:00 AM Yoga - Rm :00 PM Summer Adult Studies - various Thursday - July 25 8:00 AM Senior Adult Activities - various 9:00 AM Summer Adult Study - Rm. 311 Friday - July 26 8:30 AM Mouat Chapel Open for Prayer in memoriam We extend our love and sympathy: to Cindy Boyd on the death of her brother, Wesley Hite, on July 2 in Pennsylvania. He was also the uncle of Mattie Boyd and Callie Boyd. to Melissa and Patrick Smith on the death of her mother and to Meredith Smith and Melanie Smith on the death of their grandmother, Barbara Kessler, on July 9. to Marenda and Joe Swaika on the death of her father, Marcus Wilson, on July 14. He was the grandfather of Nicholas, Alex and Marcus Swaika. CFT FSR CONF SANC FHALL Craft Room 143 Fireside Room 145 Conference Room 220 Sanctuary Fellowship Hall LIB NAT LP SP HAVEN Library 218 Not at Trinity Large Parlor Small Parlor 105 Youth Auditorium CHAPEL MS WHALL SDR FLC Mouat Chapel Music Suite 132 Wesley Hall Small Dining Room Family Life Center take note Nursery Volunteers - July 21 Laura Eanes, Amy Green & Mandy Olson Nursery volunteers are needed each Sunday. To volunteer, please contact Barry Smith at or nurseryvolunteers@trinitybirmingham.com. pacesetters news AUGUST 7 - TUSCALOOSA DAY TRIP On Wednesday, August 7, we will enjoy a day trip to Tuscaloosa to tour Bryant-Denny Stadium and UA campus. Lunch will be at Cypress Inn restaurant. We will leave Trinity at 9 AM. For reservations or more information on any event listed above, contact Amy Lewis at or alewis@trinitybirmingham.com. Member needed to help with special needs children and youth in our congregation. Contact Karen Smith for more info at ksmith@trinitybirmingham.com or Attention Trinity Women! The Love Your Neighbor Women s Event will be held at Dawson Baptist Church on Friday, August 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. & Saturday, August 24 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. General Admission - $15 per person/both days The event will feature Jen Hatmaker: Wife, Mom, Speaker, Blogger and Author of Seven. Trinity will offer this book study by Hatmaker in the fall. If you would like to meet the author, she will be speaking at this event. For more info and to purchase your tickets online, visit: Don t forget your name tag... on Sunday mornings or anytime you are attending or representing Trinity! This is a great way to provide hospitality to our guests, and to help us get to know one another better. If you don t have a name tag, contact Lisa at or lelliott@trinitybirmingham.com. 7

8 Tidings Trinity United Methodist Church (USPS ) is published weekly, except Christmas week, by Trinity United Methodist Church, 1400 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham (Homewood), AL Periodicals postage paid at Birmingham, AL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Tidings, Trinity United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 19069, Birmingham, AL Sundays at Trinity: Worship 8:45, 11:00 & 11:15 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM Youth Activities 6:00 PM Serving Greater Birmingham from Homewood Our Mission: To Gather To Grow To Go To Glorify 1400 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL Careline: WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Josh Rains 100 Gibbs St. Apt. 512B Troy, AL Josh joined Trinity by vows from another Christian denomination. He serves as an Intern for Trinity s Element Student Ministry. Interested in Membership? Join us the first Sunday of every month in the large parlor for Coffee with the Pastor. This is a time to meet the pastoral staff, ask questions and learn more about the core values and mission of Trinity. We also encourage you to attend Membership 101, a basic orientation prior to joining Trinity. It is offered on the second Sunday of each month. Contact Drew Holland at or dholland@trinitybirmingham.com with any questions. Register now for Senior High Discovery Weekend! August 24 & 25 The weekend will kick off at 8 AM on August 24 with breakfast in the gym and fellowship hall attrinity UMC. Shortly after we will be heading to Springville Camp, outside of Odenville, for the remainder of the weekend. For more info & to register, visit elementstudentministry.com/hsd2013 Questions? Contact Caroline Hare at chare@trinitybirmingham.com. Want to be part of a Children s Sunday School Team? Children s Sunday School teams for the upcoming school year are now forming. There are several opportunities to join a team in preschool or elementary classes. It s a great opportunity to learn and grow spiritually right along with the kids! You will be blessed and have fun sharing in their excitement and energy. The teams ideally consist of three or four individuals or couples so there s flexibility in scheduling. Curriculum and supplies are provided. Don t wait! Call Linda Whatley or Jeanne Baswell at You may also lwhatley@trinitybirmingham.com (or) jbaswell@trinitybirmingham.com