The Belfry. Mission Statement. September A Message from Our Priest in Charge. Inside this issue: Highlights. ear Friends in D Christ Jesus,

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1 September 2015 Highlights Parking Lot Changes Water Filtration System Rice & Beans + Chili Cook-off Sunday Coffee Hour Ministry Fair Online Spirituality Proclamation Inside this issue: Ye Old Sugar Plum Fair & Parking Lot Changes Pledge Status, Book Clubs, Sunday Counters & Water Filtration System Outreach Report & 2015 Calendar 8th Annual Rice & Beans + Chili Cook-off 5 Ministry Schedule & Church School Sunday Coffee Hour 7 Ministry Fair 8 Adult Formation, Friends & Needles & Online Spirituality Ellie Steidel, Ladies Luncheon, Notes & Confirmation Trinity Episcopal Church 300 Main Street Wethersfield, CT (860) ww.trinityepiscopalweth.org Office Hours: 9:00-2:00 T-W-Th Proclamation 11 E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H IN A Message from Our Priest in Charge ear Friends in D Christ Jesus, The Belfry In 2013, former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney wrote about an anthropologist who thought he would test some African children by placing a bowl of fruit underneath a tree. He told them that the first child to reach the fruit could have it all. Instead of competing, the children all took each other s hands and ran toward the tree together. When they got to the fruit, they shared it together. When he asked them why they didn t try to outrun one another, the children answered, How can we be happy when others are sad? This is the African concept of Ubuntu. Roughly translated it means: I am because we are. In April, at the all parish meeting, we were asked to consider our answers to four questions: 1. Over the course of the past 10 years, describe a highpoint in the life at Trinity when we were engaged in God s mission and firing on all cylinders. What was happening? 2. Name the three things you value most about your parish. 3. Looking over your entire life, tell a story about when you most appreciated the ministry of a priest. What happened? What did you appreciate? 4. It is 2018 and our new rector has been with us for three years. Describe our parish s three most exciting, energizing, significant accomplishments within that short period of time. Mission Statement would love to post I every answer here, but it would require a magazine to do so. Instead, the actual tablecloths with your answers handwritten on them will be posted in the Parish Hall come September so you can all see them for yourselves. The tablecloths are fragile, so please treat them gently. In addition, as reported previously, the transcriptions from the tablecloths and from all of your Post-It Note stories are available in a file in the office for you to read there or photocopy for yourselves. Trinity Episcopal Church is an ever-evolving Christian community committed to deepening our relationship with God by: Offering worship sand education for all ages Caring for and serving one another and those beyond our community Being open and welcoming Continued next page The Reverend Lois Keen

2 The Belfry Page 2 A Message from Our Priest in Charge Continued The Vestry has been meeting every two or three weeks to sift through your responses. They have determined two goals for the immediate future. 1. Community building building up and strengthening the people of Trinity as a cohesive community. 2. Evaluating the financial viability of Trinity, for the purpose of setting financial goals for the future. The first goal will be essential for making decisions that come out of the second goal. Even more, the first goal will be essential to all of you taking part in making the decisions that are expected at the end of the Priest in Charge period: What kind of Church is God calling Trinity to be, and what kind of clergy leadership will be best for the exercise of God s Mission through Trinity in the future. our responses to the four Y questions are very rich. They display so many hopes and dreams for the future of Trinity that to make all those dreams come true will require everyone, with all your very differing priorities, to work together to make one another s dreams come true. This is where the African concept of Ubuntu comes in. We can compete with one another over what Trinity s priorities will be, with some being winners and some not. Or we can run together, as a community, united in Christ Jesus, and let the future rise up from within that holding of hands together for the sake of the whole community. In the end, the choice will be yours the people of Trinity parish. May Christ be in your hearts and minds and souls to prosper your endeavors, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Reverend Lois Keen Ye Olde Sugar Plum Fair ith the temperatures outside in the middle 90s, it W is hard to think that planning for Ye Olde Sugar Plum Fair has begun. The date for the Fair this year is Saturday, November 21st at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The stage has been cleared for the collection of books, DVDs, puzzles, and Christmas collectibles. Please pack them securely and label them clearly for the Fair. Save the date! And as the weather cools, turn your eyes to the next Belfry for more details. Also set your minds on how you can help make this Fair the best parish-wide event yet! There is something to do for everyone who wants to help. Please contact Connie Harasymiw or Rose Riley with new ideas and offers to help. Everyone is welcome! Connie Harasymiw Ye Olde Sugar Plum Fair Parking Lot Changes ith the sale of the rectory W the driveway is now shared (as easement) by Trinity and the former rectory. Parking will not be allowed in the driveway portion (opposite the former rectory) or the first spaces on the right side of the parking lot as you enter. New signs and painted lines have been added to indicate handicapped parking and church parking spaces. Please be sure to park in the appropriate spaces. Thank you. Denise Paternostro

3 Page 3 Pledge Status as of 7/31/2015 Total Annual Pledge $105,000 Pledge Budget 1/1-7/31 $61,250 Received Through 7/31 $60,869 Difference -$381 Income/Expenses as of 7/31/2015 Actual Budget Income Expenses $71,059 $111,070 $ $115,003 $42,700 depleted from investments to cover 2015 expenses as of 7/31/2015. Rob Heath Trinity Book Clubs The morning Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 14 at Sue DeCesare s home, 90 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford. The book for discussion is The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. ( ) (suellen1940@yahoo.com) Sue DeCesare The evening Book Club will hold its organizational meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Joan Joseph. Bring your recommendations for the year and your calendar. As always, all are welcome especially on this first night of the new book club cycle. This is a great time to come and join the fun. P.S. If you want a head start, our first book will be the Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and will be discussed in October. Joan Joseph Counting Sunday Counters The following collection counters have been scheduled for June: September 6: Rose Riley & Connie Harasymiw September 13: Jessie Karpf & Denise Paternostro September 20: Kathy Cole & TBD September 27: Kathy Cole & Don Knapp Kathy Cole New! Water Filtration System Refreshes In case you re not aware, there is a new Krystal Klear water filtration system in the Parish Hall kitchen. It was provided by Darren Yovan at no cost to the church. Darren has attended Sunday services at Trinity and was so impressed with the people, the atmosphere, the services, and the building that he offered to set up the system as his personal donation. You will find the unit to the left of the primary sink in the kitchen. Try the water it s delicious. We offer our sincerest thanks to Darren for his generous contribution. Photo courtesy of Joan Joseph

4 The Belfry Page 4 Outreach Committee Report Local/Regional/Worldwide 8 TH Annual Rice & Beans + Chili Cook-Off Sunday, September 27 th 5:00 p.m. This favorite annual event will take place in our Parish Hall. In 2007 we expected this event to be only for that year, but it has taken on a life of its own and here we are up to the 8 th annual! Please come and join fellow parishioners along with people from Wethersfield and surrounding communities for a fun evening sample the food and vote for your favorite dish. There is a Judged Competition and a People s Choice Competition. The Rev. Lois and Mr. Newlin Keen and Rebecca Scruton will be back as judges. Bill Reese will once again serve as Master of Ceremonies and Sal Basile will play his guitar during dinner. We would appreciate help with desserts, water, and soda a sign-up sheet will be placed in the back of the church. The Outreach Committee appreciates all the assistance we receive from our Parish Family, including on the night of the event. And we look forward to the same this year we especially need our young people to pour soda and water. Please see a member of the committee if you can help, or call Marilyn Ford at (860) Proceeds will benefit our Outreach Committee projects in Hartford, Haiti, Brazil, and Wethersfield. It is pay at the door event: adults $10.00, children (ages 3-12) $3.00, and a family of 5 or more (2 adults only) $ Souper Saturday - October 17 th 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Laraine Wilson and her helpers will again offer homemade soups, bread, and desserts in the Parish Hall to benefit Outreach Committee projects. Please see Laraine or call her at (860) if you are willing to contribute food and/or assist her that day. Trash Collection Jimmy Gonzalez will come to your house and pick up unwanted items and take them to the scrap yard. All types of metals (steel, aluminum, brass, copper); electrical (old TVs, computer monitors, extension cords, hair dryers, etc.) + tools, patio furniture, boilers, cast iron tubs, even your old junk car! Call him at (860) All proceeds go to the Outreach Committee. South Park Inn Please place donations for this Hartford shelter in the box in the Parish Hall: toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, spray deodorant, feminine hygiene products, diapers, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, towels, pillow cases, twin sheets, and fitted sheets. Marilyn Ford Church of the Good Shepherd This has been a long hot summer for the folks who go around the Food Share truck at Good Shepherd. On a couple of the hottest days our numbers dropped, but we averaged 150 people for sandwiches and watermelon and cool drinks. We, or I should say you, have helped a family who was burned out of their apartment through your donations of basic household goods and clothing. They escaped with their lives, but lost everything else. We will begin to serve soup and bread the beginning of September, so remember as you donate hams to the Cathedral dinner, your gift goes on to serve 150 more people at Good Shepherd from the ham bones we use for soup stock. It is a gift that goes a l-o-n-g way. As always, this is a mission and ministry that we could not carry out without you and we thank you. Connie Harasymiw 2015 Outreach Calendar Sept. 5:00 p.m. 8 th Annual Rice & Beans & Chili Cook-Off Oct. 17 Souper Saturday Nov. 1 Soup To Go Nov. 15 Two Cents A Meal Ingathering (both services) Nov. 21 Ye Olde Sugar Plum Fair Dec. 6 & 13 Christmas/Three Kings Toy Drive Dec. 20 Annual Cookie Walk

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6 The Belfry Page 6 Ministry Schedule September September September September September -15 Openers Joan Joseph Ed Zagorski Ed Zagorski Jessie Karpf Eucharistic Ministers 8:00 AM Joan Joseph Ed Zagorski Ed Zagorski Ginger Smith 10:00 AM Sal Basile Ray Colburn Jessie Karpf Jean Bruce Lectors 8:00 AM Donna Brown Lew Nedell Katherine Stearley Ginger Smith 10:00 AM Kristine Gonzalez Jan Rouse Paul Milne Geraldeen Lohman Prayers of the People Kathy Cole Rose Riley Jessie Karpf Jan Rouse Ushers Volunteers? Denise Paternostro Chellstorps Denise Paternostro Closers Kathy Cole Denise Paternostro Rose Riley Denise Paternostro Counters Rose Riley Connie Harasymiw Denise Paternostro Jessie Karpf Kathy Cole Don Knapp Kathy Cole Nursery Volunteers? Volunteers? Volunteers? Volunteers? Sunday Service Notes Attention Participants Please remember that if you are unable to serve on the Sunday you are assigned, check the Ministers Contact List so that you may find a replacement. Contact Ed Zagorski at ezagorski@cox.net for a copy of the list. Thank you! Belfry Deadlines Oct Belfry Deadline: Friday, Sept. 18 Nov Belfry Deadline: Monday, Oct. 19 Dec Belfry Deadline: Monday, Nov. 16 Jan Belfry Deadline: Friday, Dec. 18 Feb Belfry Deadline: Monday, Jan. 18 Mar Belfry Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 17 Church school registration will take place on Sept. 13th. We look forward to seeing you in our Godly Play classroom. And watch for a new vision for our teens!

7 Sunday Coffee Hour hether you re a coffee drinker or not, getting together with fellow parishioners after the 10:00 service W is a wonderful way to catch up on what s going on with friends, acquaintances, and even newcomers. In a relaxed atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship, there s nothing like it to learn about upcoming activities and events, catch news, and get your Sunday underway with a good feeling. But believe it or not, this fun time doesn t happen spontaneously. It happens when one or two or more individuals choose to make it happen. Coffee Hour Coordinator Needed Trinity Parish needs someone to oversee planning for Sunday Coffee Hour not to do the work every Sunday, but to coordinate the activity with others and recruit participants. Would you be willing to step forward and oversee this ministry? If so, please see Ed Zagorski who will help you organize your service and help recruit providers. What Does Coffee Hour Involve? For those interested in providing refreshments one Sunday a month (or even every six weeks), here s an overview of what you can do: Before the 10:00 Service: Put out cups, glasses, sugar, creamers, stirrers, and tea bags Prepare the coffee urn (or pots) and start them perking Attend the church service After the 10:00 Service: Serve coffee and tea Provide hot water in a carafe or small pot for tea Include (perhaps) a juice or flavored drink for children and others Monitor the refreshments table Clean up: Load the dishwasher Empty/clean out coffee urn or pots Put away unused items Wipe down counters, tables, etc. Ask people to help you. f you are the last to leave, be sure to turn out lights, close windows and lock the front parish hall door from I the inside you can leave by the back door that leads to the Hart Seed parking lot. Be sure to shut it tightly behind you. If you have any questions, please contact Junior Warden Ed Zagorski who will assist you ( , , ezagorski@cox.net). Thank you for considering this beautiful ministry! Page 7

8 The Belfry Page 8 Sunday, September 13, :00-10:00 AM & 11:15 AM-Noon Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God s help Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God s help Baptismal Covenant, The Book of Common Prayer Inreach Activities Coordinator Casserole Ministry Coffee Hour Nursery Welcome Committee Memorial Garden Altar Guild Choir Liturgy Eucharistic Ministers/ Visitors Acolytes/Crucifers Lectors Prayers of the People Ushers Outreach Cathedral Dinners Church of the Good Shepherd South Park Inn Friends and Needles Christian Formation Adult Formation Youth Formation Intergenerational Formation Operations Vestry Finance Property Stewardship Office Support Counters Openers and Closers Communication Service Leaflet Belfry Web Site/Social Media Where Will You Fit In? Bring Your Famil y and Yo ur Smile! Pictures will be taken for our new directory

9 Page 9 Adult Formation e have a variety of topics in Adult W Formation to be presented during the year from books to movies; from Godly Play to poetry of faith; from a Taize service to Bible Women; and don't forget Lent Madness. Adult Formation will begin on October 4th with some members of the Outreach Committee sharing the latest news of St. Vincent s Center for Handicapped Children in Haiti, which we support. A powerful video will touch your heart. This will be followed by the Rev. Lois Keen s Practicing Prayer, which she will continue on a monthly basis. Friends and Needles riends and Needles is a F group of ladies, half from Trinity and half from the community, who meet from one to three o clock on Thursday afternoons in the Seabury Room. It is an open group and anyone who desires can join us for knitting, conversation, and general good will. We share patterns, knitting knowledge, funny stories, and favorite books. We also knit baby blankets as gifts for any child baptized at Trinity as a welcoming gift, which is presented at the baptism. We also knit prayer shawls that are given out whenever we or the Online Spirituality elcome to Trinity's new monthly feature W highlighting online spiritual information and messages. This month's choice is from Sharon Pearson s blog, Rows of Sharon, Thoughts of a Christian Educator, and is her section entitled Christian Formation in a Changing Church. Information from this blog was also presented at the Diocesan Spring Training Workshop held in March 2015, and was the topic of our August Second Sunday Summer Seminar. This series asks the question: How do we not only deliver, but make relevant, the message of Jesus We end the month with Bishop Gordon Scruton and the Benedictine Rule of Life - a way of life rooted in the Gospel and grounded in the spiritual principles of charity, humility, stability and faithfulness. How do we use this on our own spiritual journey? A brochure will be available in September listing the program for the year. We hope you will come to the Seabury Room on Sundays at 9 a.m. beginning on October 4th. Jean Joseph office is made aware of a need. Most of the time people knit for themselves, their families or the church fair. We welcome donations of yarns and patterns, so if you know of anyone looking to donate, please make our group known to them. We have accepted the lovely donation of a cedar-lined chest from Jan Rouse, which will be used to keep the baptism blankets and prayer shawls. We will be keeping it in the Seabury Room where it will remind all of us all of these important ministries. Connie Harasymiw Christ in the 21st century? It is a great series that not only takes a look back in time, but also takes us to what our future could look like. Be sure to check out the possibilities through links to programs and ideas such as inter-generational faith formation and a messy church happening right now throughout the world. Access Rows of Sharon through Trinity s website under Online Resource OR by going to: Joan Joseph

10 A Message from Ellie Steidel ear Trinity Friends, D We are in our home in Fayetteville, North Carolina (2507 Pecan Drive, NC 28303), but not completely settled yet that will take a while. I want to express my thanks for the lovely cross that the Rev. Lois gave me on behalf of the congregation on my last Sunday at Trinity. It will have a special place in our new home. Also, thank you to Nan Heath for the wonderful reception she put together for me. The flowers, Ladies Lunch the food, and the company provided me with many happy memories. It was a very special time for me and receiving good wishes from those who attended meant so much to me. Page 10 My cell phone number is still the same ( ), but my has changed to ejsteidel14@gmail.com. I plan to keep up with the happenings at Trinity and only wish the best for all of you! Miss you! Love, Ellie ungry? The first gathering of the Ladies Luncheon will be on Tuesday, October 6th at Elizabeth s H Restaurant, 825 Cromwell Ave. (Rte. 3) # Ij in Rocky Hill at 12 noon. If anyone needs a ride, please call Sue DeCesare at (860) All are welcome! Please Note When using the Parish Hall kitchen, please remember to make certain the refrigerator door is fully closed. Reminder: Comments from the all-parish meeting of earlier this year are available in the office for your review there or to make copies to take home. Confirmation The Confirmation of Tate Knapp, Hannah Desrochers, and Molly Desrochers was held on June 6, 2015 at Grace Episcopal Church in Windsor. Bishop Gordon Scruton officiated. Blessed congratulations! Left to right, Tate Knapp, the Right Reverend Gordon Scruton, Hannah Desrochers, Molly Desrochers.

11 Page 11 Trinity Episcopal Church, Wethersfield P r o c l a m a t i o n Whereas; Whereas; Whereas; Whereas; Whereas; Whereas; Prior to the Twenty-Second of May, Two-Thousand-Fifteen, in preparation for the Sale of the Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory, located at 290 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut, to private individuals seeking such property, detailed measures were tended to by an assemblage of dedicated individuals in a variety of capacities, and whose selfless efforts applied to maximize the presentation of the historic structure; and these individuals worked diligently within the established criteria as set forth by the Most Ancient Town of Wethersfield Historic District Commission; and Mrs. Billye Logan, Parishioner, worked tirelessly to oversee and bring the physical preparation of the structure and exterior property for maximum appeal to successful fruition; and Ms. Shirley Davies, Realtor and Parishioner, worked tirelessly to oversee the publicity, property listing, and securing of potential purchasers, with some assistance in negotiation; and Attorney Peter Barry, Esq., and Attorney Michael Barry, Esq., of the firm Barry, Harvey & Later, P.C., diligently prepared legal documentation for the sale; and Mr. John Miller, Engineer, of the firm Close, Jensen & Miller, P.C., worked industriously in persevering to assure the soundness of the structure and the surveying of the property delineation for correctness; Now Therefore; Be it known that we, the undersigned members of the Trinity Episcopal Church Vestry, as representatives of the congregation, hereby acknowledge, thank, appreciate, and otherwise officially recognize with profound gratitude the noble, professional, and extraordinary expertise of the aforementioned individuals in bringing this project to its successful conclusion herewith this 21st Day of June [signed] The Reverend Lois Keen Joan Joseph (Senior Warden) Edward Zagorski (Junior Warden) Donna Brown (Clerk) Robert Heath (Treasurer) Jessie Karpf (Co-Treasurer) Nancy Crandall (Vestry Member) Garth Myers (Vestry Member) Lewis Nedell (Vestry Member) Denise Paternostro (Vestry Member) Rose Riley (Vestry Member) Rebecca Scruton (Vestry Member)

12 P a r t i c i p a t i n g i n G o d s M i s s i o n The Belfry Trinity Episcopal Church Wethersfield, Connecticut 300 Main Street Wethersfield, CT (860) ww.trinityepiscopalweth.org office@trinityepiscopalweth.org Office Hours: 9:00-2:00 T-W-Th Please us at operations@trinityepiscopalweth.org or call us at if you would like to be removed from our mailing list or if you would like to receive this publication electronically. Activities Celebration of Faith & Fellowship 30-Hour Famine M e m b e r Episcopal Church in Connecticut Blessing of the Animals Confirmation