OCTOBER 2015 TRINITY TIMES THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WILL YOU SERVE OR LEAD AT TRINITY?

Transcription

1 OCTOBER 2015 TRINITY TIMES THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH you are the church SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WILL YOU SERVE OR LEAD AT TRINITY? MAKING GOD S LOVE VISIBLE

2 you are the church PAM S PONDERINGS BY REV. PAM DRIESELL I INVITE YOU TO PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER NOW MIGHT BE THE TIME FOR YOU TO JUMP IN AND SERVE OR LEAD IN WAYS YOU HAVE NOT DONE BEFORE. YOU ARE THE CHURCH! WE ARE THE CHURCH TOGETHER. AND WE ARE ALL IN GOD S HANDS. PAGE 2

3 PAM S PONDERINGS What a great start we ve had to the program year! Worship is back to our regular schedule with a sermon series on the eight values of our updated mission statement, enlivened by new liturgical art and the voices of child lay readers. The choirs are working hard at preparing beautiful music to enhance our connection with God, including an inspiring fall music program next month. Adult Ed classes with great speakers and stimulating discussion are underway, including new year-long offerings. Sunday breakfasts are drawing children and families together, and CFM will liven things up with a Blessing of the Animals early next month. Thursday Night Supper is drawing crowds with a revamped menu starring local and organic ingredients, and everything freshly prepared. Fall mission trips and robust confirmation classes are helping our youth to deepen their understanding of their faith. Trinity hammers will be ringing this month on a Habitat for Humanity build, while Mission Momentum Nights inspire and energize us, with words from Columbia Seminary s new president, Leanne Van Dyk. Spiritual Formation groups are up and running, with new additions, as well. Vision2020, our strategic vision, is quickly becoming reality as new working teams and existing committees take on vital initiatives addressing the hopes and dreams you all have named over the last year; two prominent examples are the birth this summer of our Young Adults Ministry and the ongoing fellowship of Connections, our Sunday school class for parents of teens and tweens. To cap it all off, our 2016 commitment campaign, Share the Vision with Glad and Generous Hearts, will infuse this month with joyful generosity as we reflect on all of these amazing things God is doing among us. And amidst the busyness of returning to our fall rhythm, Trinity is YOU are being the church in ways small and large. Yet this time is not without difficulty. I know you were all saddened, as was I, to learn of the departure of Senior Associate Pastor Craig Goodrich to First Presbyterian Church in Naples, Florida. Craig s steady and compassionate pastoral presence, his gifts for teaching and preaching, his nurture of small groups, and his guidance of our growing commitment and planned giving ministries have all witnessed to his deep care for this congregation. Craig s wife, Andie, too, has blessed us with a ministry of hospitality and spiritual leadership, and graced many of you with the gift of her friendship. I hope you will join us as we celebrate the ministry of the Goodriches among us and send them off with our love and blessings at a reception following the 11 am worship service on October 11, Craig s last Sunday at Trinity During this time of transition, however, I am buoyed up by God s steadfast care for us. We recently celebrated staff anniversaries for Erin McGee 10 years as our Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministries; John Ryan 10 years as our Director of Youth and Family Ministries, and now taking on even more as Interim Director of Adult Education; and Esther Patrick, 15 years of service in Mission and Communications. These dedicated, faithful people consistently do such good work to nurture, teach, and care for our young people and to help all of us stay connected. When you see them this month, please thank them, as their contributions aren t always front and center, but their ministries ARE central to who we are as Trinity. Additionally, I have been privy to the enthusiasm building amongst our staff and lay leaders as we work to fill open positions with talented, passionate individuals. We are interviewing excellent candidates for an interim position to cover Craig s duties and provide support to our adult ministries; a youth director/pastor; and a theologian in residence, and I cannot wait to share with you the results of these searches in the coming weeks and months. It may be tempting, as we move through all these transitions, to feel that at some point we are finally going to get back to normal. But as a friend recently reminded me, it s not a bad thing to see these changes as our new normal. For one thing, it means that Trinity is raising up leaders whom God is calling to new adventures at the very same time that God is so faithfully sustaining our existing staff and bringing us new people to help carry our work forward. And continued on page 7 PAGE 3

4 GIVE GENEROUSLY GLAD & GENEROUS HEARTS BY BILL JORDAN and LAURA BYNUM, COMMITMENT CO-CHAIRS There are few things that signal Fall more than college football, the return of Halloween decorations at Target, and... discussions about money at the church. After many years at a church, the annual giving solicitations can become, if we re not very careful, just another autumn routine just another of the many calls to give to the very many worthy causes we support with our hard-earned dollars. Let s collectively commit to ensure this does not become the case at Trinity. Giving to the church is different from giving to other organizations. It is not only pleasing to God (just read the MANY Bible passages that tell us so); giving to the church is in response to, and in gratitude for, Christ s ultimate gift to us. Giving to God through the church is at least worth a discussion and prayer. That is why at Trinity we use a different vocabulary around our Commitment activities. If we should approach giving to the church differently from giving to other non-profits, why should we adopt the same words? At Trinity, Commitment is not an annual fund campaign. You won t see a pretty thermometer on the Five Points bulletin board showing our progress toward a campaign goal. We don t have giving levels. Or patron parties. We need to think about and therefore talk about our gifts to the church in a different way from our gifts to other worthy causes. We need to use biblically-focused language. We are taught throughout the Bible, from Genesis on, that we should give with a generous spirit and with gladness. This year we are using as guidance Acts 2:46, where the Apostles were gathered in fellowship, the Holy Spirit was with them, and they shared what they had with glad and generous hearts. Combining this with the important work of our strategic plan and vision, we want to collectively Share the Vision with Glad and Generous Hearts. That God loves a cheerful giver is not a trite saying; it is a biblical imperative. In our thinking and speaking, here s what we can do to make giving to church be about something more than writing a check to the annual fund : We can pray about our giving; we can talk with our families about our giving; we can talk about why we give our first fruits and not our scraps; we can discuss the tithe; we can ensure that our gifts to God are larger than our gifts to our country club or our alma mater or the payments on our automobile loan. Giving to God through the church is at least worth a discussion and prayer. Now, a request please take a moment to read the Commitment package you will receive in the mail. And then please send in your response card, or just go online ( to make your family s 2016 pledge. As the Trinity by the Numbers chart on the facing page shows, there are so many tremendous things that you do through this church to Make God s Love Visible, but it also takes, each year, about $4.2 million to sustain this community that is so incredibly important to our families and to the larger community. With gladness of heart and generosity of spirit, we joyfully ask you to consider your pledge for We thank you for your commitment to Share the Vision with your Glad and Generous Hearts!

5 AS PART OF THE CHRISTMAS GIFT DRIVE, TRINITY SUPPORTED

6 IT S MORE THAN SOUP Trinity members and friends gathered in September to provide dinner and serve the Agape students. Making God s Love Visible by providing healthy meals for Agape children Did you know that our Agape neighbors, who live less than three miles from Trinity Church, reside in an area often referred to as a food desert? The community has no grocery store nearby, and most residents must rely on public transportation to get to a grocery store. As a result, residents often purchase their food at the nearby QuikTrip, or they go without groceries. significant impact on the lives of our Agape friends. Help Make God s Love Visible and participate in a meal coordinated by one of our meal captains. Contact Lesley Carroll (lesleycarroll@comcast.net or ) or Cindy Ferguson (cindycferguson@icloud.com or ) to get involved or for more information. All Agape students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and because they live in a food desert, lunch would likely be the only full meal they ate without Agape. One of the foundations of Agape s program is to provide a healthy dinner for the children. On Thursdays, the children join Trinity members for Thursday Night Supper in Williams Hall. In addition, Trinity has agreed to serve dinner to 70 Agape elementary students on the first Tuesday of every month. Nine Trinity members have already agreed to serve as meal captains to recruit 3 or 4 families per month to share in providing and serving a dinner. Helping provide dinner is a simple way that your family can make a PAGE 6

7 SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE Being a mother of two, Elsie understands the importance of providing children with sufficient resources to excel in school. Elsie Henderson has been with Agape for more than 15 years and devotes many hours each week to helping others. For over 10 of those 15 years, Elsie Henderson has been volunteering in the Agape after-school programs, working with the children as a mentor and getting to know them one-on-one. She has formed relationships with the students that helped guide them in the right direction at a critical time in their lives. In order to learn more ways to assist her students with reading challenges, Elsie enrolled in the Orton Gillingham training program. Last summer, Elsie coordinated a book and cookie club for the children in the summer program. In addition to her work with the children, Elsie also served Agape by co-chairing the 2012 Spring Benefit. And in 2014, because she embodies the commitment and service ethic defining agape, or selfless service, she was awarded the 2014 Agape Humanitarian Award. For some time now, Elsie has served with Agape s Homework Buddy program, which is geared toward providing mentorship and homework assistance to the elementary and middle school children in Agape s after-school programs. Her buddy of 6 years is Matthew, a rising 5th-grader who, she says, Is a bright kid who needed some motivation for his homework and has come a long way! Elsie mentions that the children and having the opportunity to give back so easily is what makes this program worth being a part of. Furthermore, she enjoys providing them with the opportunity to learn to make rational decisions that will help prepare them for lifetime success. The three words that she used to describe the Homework Buddy program are challenging, engaging, and rewarding all of which she believes make this an effective program with so much room to grow. Agape s mission is to empower and support local families in need in discovering and embracing their full potential. Agape fulfills this mission by providing programs focusing on character development, family support services, academic achievement, reading proficiency by third grade, successful high school graduation, and post-graduation placement. More information is available at or contact Chaz Chapman at or cchapman@agapeatlanta.org. PAM S PONDERINGS continued from page 2 it also reminds me that YOU, as the members of Trinity, are the church YOU all are the ones who make this a vibrant, living community. Together, and with God s help, it is our call to keep on Making God s Love Visible. Given those beautiful truths, I invite you to prayerfully consider whether now might be the time for you to jump in and serve or lead in ways you have not done before. YOU ARE THE CHURCH! WE ARE THE CHURCH TOGETHER. And we are all in God s hands. As you give thanks for and pray God s blessings on Andie and Craig, please also keep our dedicated staff and our hardworking search committees and lay leaders in your prayers as we move forward in answering this lifegiving call. With love, blessings, and devotion, PAGE 7

8 MUSIC & FINE ARTS CHORAL SCHOLARS This year the Chancel Choir will be welcoming two students from Georgia State University and one student from Kennesaw State University into its Choral Scholars Program L to R: Emily Bateman, Rontray Miller, and Megan Schuiteman join the Chancel Choir this year as Choral Scholars The choirs at Trinity always enrich worship in ways that express petition and praise more profoundly than words alone. Music Director Norman Mackenzie s many years of leadership and commitment have blessed this congregation and all of Atlanta in countless ways. This year the Chancel Choir will be welcoming two students from Georgia State University and one student from Kennesaw State University into its Choral Scholars Program, which began in 2013 with funds given in memory of L. Neil Williams, Jr., a member with many years of service as a bass in the choir, an Elder and Trustee. The program provides stipends for students studying voice (or other musical interests) to sing the finest choral anthems and longer works under the direction of Norman and with the accomplished singers in the Chancel Choir. They are also able to experience the day-to-day operation of a large, multiple-staff church music program and to get to know more about the opportunities that might exist for possible future career paths. It s a definite win-win situation for all of us. Megan Schuitema, a soprano and recent graduate, will be participating in this program for the third year. She will be using her training and experience as the Director of Choirs at Harrison High School in Cobb County. New this year are Rontray Miller, a tenor and freshman at Georgia State University, majoring in Music Technology, and Emily Bateman, a mezzo-soprano and junior at Kennesaw State University, pursuing a major in English and a minor in voice. Give them a welcoming smile and hand as you see them processing each Sunday. PAGE 8

9 LEARN PURPOSEFULLY VERDI & THE ALMIGHTY On October 22, Evans Mirageas, Vice-President for Artistic Planning and Operations for The Atlanta Symphony, will be the special presenter about the soul-stirring Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi. He has also just completed his tenth season as The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. Evans Mirageas was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan in His varied career in classical music has embraced record retail, radio production with the nationally renowned WFMT in Chicago, symphony administration as Artistic Administrator to Seiji Ozawa at the Boston Symphony, and artistic leadership as Senior Vice-President of The Decca Record Company. Mirageas s talk, entitled Verdi and The Almighty, will include musical excerpts and enhance understanding and appreciation of this masterpiece. Sue Williams, Trinity member and former soloist in the Chancel Choir and member of the Symphony Chorus, will host this presentation in Dobbs Chapel, which is open to all members and friends. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. As a follow-up to Mr. Mirageas s presentation, Trinity will provide free transportation to Symphony Hall to attend the performance of the Verdi Requiem on November 12. Robert Spano, Conductor and Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will be the conductor, and Trinity s own Music Director and Organist, Norman Mackenzie, will have conducted the rehearsals for the Symphony Chorus and will join the featured four worldclass soloists as they take their bows. To purchase tickets, visit www. trinityatlanta.org/register-now. You can pay by credit card or drop a check off (made payable to Trinity Presbyterian Church) at the church. If you choose not to register electronically, please bring your check to Frieda Johnson at the church office. We have a limited number of seats don t wait to register and possibly miss out on this event! If you already have tickets and want to ride the Trinity bus, please reserve your space by ing Frieda Johnson at fjohnson@trinityatlanta.org. October 22-7:00 pm, Dobbs Chapel November 12-8:00 pm, Symphony Hall GEORGIAN CHAMBER PLAYERS present french romance FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 David Coucheron, Reid Harris, Christopher Rex, and Elizabeth Pridgen SAINT-SAËNS Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 14 David Coucheron, Helen Kim, Reid Harris, Christopher Rex, and Julie Coucheron TICKET INFORMATION Adults: $20 Students: $5 Tickets are available the day of the concert at the door. Sunday, October 18, :00 pm, Trinity Presbyterian Church 3003 Howell Mill Road NW Atlanta, GA For more information, please visit our website: georgianchamberplayers.org GEORGIAN CHAMBER PLAYERS CONCERT Sunday, October 18, :00 pm, Sanctuary Trinity will once again host the renowned Georgian Chamber Players for two concerts this season. These performances offer the opportunity to experience chamber music at its finest, as presented by this distinguished and talented group. The first of these concerts is titled "French Romance" and will feature works by Fauré and Saint-Saëns. ASO Concertmaster David Coucheron, ASO Principal Cellist Christopher Rex, and ASO Principal Violist Reid Harris are joined by acclaimed pianists Elizabeth Pridgen and Julie Coucheron and guest violinist Helen Kim, for this program combining piano and strings in two beautiful settings. Trinity is privileged to once again host this outstanding chamber music group, which always delivers a rewarding and engaging musical experience. Tickets at the door: $20 adults, $5 students PAGE 9

10 GATHER JOYFULLY GROUPS & GATHERINGS Thursday Night Suppers Join us for supper on Thursday evenings from 5:45 to 6:30 pm. Meals are prepared from scratch, using fresh ingredients. Cost is $7 per adult, $4 per child; $20 per family maximum. MENU: October 1: spaghetti, meat sauce, marinara sauce, mixed fruit, salad, brownies October 8: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, mixed fruit, salad, cobbler October 15: taco bar, refried beans, spanish rice, mixed fruit, salad, cookies October 22: baked potato bar, turkey chili, broccoli, mixed fruit, salad, cupcakes October 29: spaghetti, meat sauce, marinara sauce, mixed fruit, salad, cookies Pastors Aid New members are always welcome! The Pastors Aid committee is an active inter-generational committee whose members welcome babies, comfort those who mourn, and reach out to those in need with visits, cards, food, and flowers. Commitments can vary from serving at a memorial service, delivering flowers after Sunday worship to writing cards of encouragement. Sign ups are on a monthly basis and are flexible, allowing members to participate in a meaningful way based on their individual schedules. The work of this committee is invaluable to the life and mission of Trinity Presbyterian Church. The Pastors Aid Committee generally meets on the fourth Monday morning of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel Parlor. Regular meeting attendance is not necessary in order to serve. Please feel free to contact Judy Glauner (dglauner@mindspring.com) or Mary Kelly Speed (mkspeed@bellsouth.net) with any questions. PAGE 10

11 2015 Public Policy Forum Thursday, November 5 7:30 am 9:30 am First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta 1328 Peachtree Street, Atlanta GA Meet with key members of the State House and Senate to discuss Georgia s critical issues! Your voice matters Register now - PAGE 11

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13 WELCOME INTENTIONALLY WELCOME TO TRINITY Have you noticed things looking a little different at Trinity? Some of the changes have been subtle, others a bit more obvious. During 2015, Property Manager Tommy Boling and the Property Committee have been overseeing improvements across our campus, nurturing a space that is intentionally welcoming for all. Special thanks to Elinor Jones for leading the signage and Welcome Center efforts, to Charlie Sides for his invaluable design work on the Welcome Center restrooms, and to John Dearing, Paul Marston, Anne Carson, and George Parson for their work on the Sanctuary refresh. Some of the improvements from 2015 include: Painting the Welcome Center and hanging new artwork. Remodeling the Welcome Center Restrooms, including new tile and sinks, and making them handicap accessible. Refreshing the Sanctuary, including painting the columns and walls, patching plaster, installing base molding and LED lighting in the Narthex, and Icynene foam spray insulation in the Sanctuary attic, Parlor, restrooms, and Narthex to improve climate control. Updating the exterior security lights and adding lights in places the Chapel and Memorial Garden that did not previously have them. The new LED lights use 60 to 70% less electricity, save money, and provide better visibility. Installing in Building D new emergency lighting, which consumes less electricity and has a longer life expectancy than previous fixtures. Replacing failed lighting fixtures in A & B Buildings with new ceramic sockets and LED bulbs, which led to rebates from Georgia Power. Pressure washing the sidewalks, steps, and lamppost columns before Fall Kick-Off. Housing a herd of sheep to clear invasive ivy and underbrush along the land east of the upper parking lot. Displaying new directional signage throughout the church, including the welcome banner highlighting our updated mission statement near the steps to Trinity Early Learning Center. These property improvements are one of the many ways we can take care of what God has entrusted to us at Howell Mill and Moores Mill Roads, as we see places for us for all to welcome intentionally, worship creatively, gather joyfully, learn purposefully, and serve wholeheartedly, and depart to live out our mission in Atlanta and around the world, to make God s love visible. PAGE 13

14 BUCKHEAD CHRISTIAN MINISTRY FOOD DRIVE Buckhead Christian Ministry (BCM) is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to individuals and families of all backgrounds and faiths, treating everyone with dignity and compassion. in f Trinity Presbyterian Church is proud to sponsor a food drive to benefit Buckhead Christian Ministry during the month of October. Buckhead Christian Ministry provides compassionate emergency assistance to individuals and families facing hardship, and offers meaningful opportunities to serve the Atlanta community. They are our neighbors and are an extension of our ministry. Trinity Church is asking every member, class, fellowship group, and Bible study group to help eliminate hunger in our community. Please encourage your class or group to donate food or raise money for BCM. There are three ways you can help: 1. Write a check to BCM and put Trinity Church Food Drive in the memo line. 2. Assemble what you can from the list below and place in the BCM FOOD DRIVE bins at Trinity, throughout the month of October. 3. Buy a KROGER gift card! BCM purchases groceries in bulk from Kroger each month, and your gift card will be put towards our next purchase of food just like a check. Please do not purchase family size packages. Most BCM clients have to take their food on the bus, and large packages are too difficult to carry. BCM has a critical need for non-perishable food items and hygiene items. BCM GROCERY LIST TO FEED A FAMILY OF FOUR instant oatmeal or grits - 1 box jelly - 1 small jar soup - 4 cans dried beans - 1 bag rice - 2 bags peanut butter - 2 small jars cornbread mix - 2 boxes macaroni & cheese - 4 boxes chicken broth 2 cans spaghetti - 1 medium box spaghetti sauce - 2 jars canned vegetables - 4 cans canned beans - 3 cans canned tuna - 4 cans ramen noodles- 5 packages toilet paper diapers razors feminine hygiene products shampoo soap deodorant tooth paste tooth brushes For more information about our church s food drive, please contact Freida Johnson at or fjohnson@trinityatlanta.org. YOUTH ADVISORS This year, the youth ministry is excited to have 12 youth advisors serving on Sunday nights, chaperoning trips, and walking alongside our youth. Front row, left to right: Caroline Sanders, Glynis Holihan, Kelsey Benn, Caroline Brown, Liz DiResta, Kathleen Mitchell, Olivia Patterson. Back row, left to right: John Ryan, Corey Patterson, Jackson McCann, Jack Heberton, Chris Halwig, Christian Edwards, Robby Pritchett

15 LEAD HUMBLY WORK IN PROGRESS It is always exciting to see leaders growing in the church and to celebrate their work in the world. For the past year, North Atlanta junior Sara Allaman has been gearing up for an amazing leadership opportunity by serving on the planning team for the 2016 Montreat Middle School Conference. As a part of the preparations for next year, Sara and the rest of the team served behind the scenes at the middle school conference this summer. They arrived two days early for the conference, which ran from July 22 to 26 at Maryville College in Tennessee. Sara shadowed the recreation leader to get ready for her role next year, helped out backstage, and served with the work crew. The team also met daily to continue planning for Sara s experience at the middle school conference was very different from her time at the Montreat Youth Conference, not only because she was behind the scenes, but also because of the age group she was working with. You see them grow into new people while they are there, she said. At the high school conference, I feel like it s more personal and you kind of grow on what you talked about after you come home. Sara went through an application process last fall and was asked to join the team along with several other youth and their leaders from around the Southeast. The team is led by Rev. David Powers of Madison Presbyterian Church in Madison, Georgia. When asked what her favorite part of the conference was, she said, It was all fun. We had early mornings and late nights, but it was all worth it. I also met a lot of really great people there. Sara met with the team in Montreat in February to begin brainstorming and planning for the conference more than a year away. After all their preparations and a long week behind the scenes, they were able to go on stage and announce the theme for the 2016 conference, Work in Progress. Excitedly, she shared that the theme was originally her idea. You re always writing your story and growing, and your relationship with God changes. It s about the different ways that God is working in our lives. PAGE 15

16 3003 Howell Mill Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia VERDI & THE ALMIGHTY October 22, 7:00 pm Dobbs Chapel Verdi and The Almighty Guest Speaker: EVANS MIRAGEAS Vice-President for Artistic Planning and Operations for The Atlanta Symphony November 12, 8:00 pm Symphony Hall Verdi s Requiem Robert Spano, conductor Cost: $39 per person Transportation is available on the Trinity bus (departing at 7:00 pm) by reservation, fjohnson@trinityatlanta.org Symphony Tickets: