TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 484 LIME ROCK RD. LAKEVILLE, CT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2017

Transcription

1 TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 484 LIME ROCK RD. LAKEVILLE, CT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2017 PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING JANUARY 21, 2018

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda P. 3 List of Voting Members P. 4 Officers, Vestry Classes and Convention Delegates P. 5 Minutes of the Annual Meeting 2017 P. 6-7 Parish Statistics 2017 P. 8 Rector s Report P Wardens Report P. 10,11,12 Financial Stewardship Report P. 12 Flower Guild Report P. 12, 13 Altar Guild Report P. 13 Christian Formation P. 13 Outreach Report P. 14, 15 Parish Helpers Report P. 15 Buildings and Grounds Report P. 16 Grant Request for Lighting P. 17,18 Art Show Report P. 18 Youth Sunday School Report P. 19 Music Report P. 20, 21 Latino Ministries P. 21, 22 Society for Theological Discourse and Car Repair P. 22, 23 Verger s Report P. 23 E Communications P. 23, 24 Diocesan Convention Report P. 24, 25 TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P. 2

3 AGENDA FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING Call to order and invocation Pastor Heidi Truax Presentation and ratification of the roll of communicants Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting 2017 Rector s Report Stewardship Report Treasurer s Report Other Reports Election of Wardens, Vestry Members, Clerk and Treasurer Election of Delegates and alternates to Diocesan Convention Old Business New Business Benediction Adjournment Coffee fundraiser! Thanks, Susanna! TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.3

4 TRINITY CHURCH VOTING MEMBERS 2018 Chris Abeel Jason Gladding Lorraine Schumacher Libby Abeel Joanne King Grafe Jeffrey Silvernale Rob Babcock Gordon Gustafson Richard Stone Martha Baer Gretchen Hachmeister Alan Swide Fred Baldwin Fred Harris Carol Taylor Patricia Barton Sally Harris Kevin Titus Stuyvesant Bearns Alison Hasenbein Electra Tortorella Beverly Becker Ryan Heller Al Tortorella David Beers Bob Hoskins Ted Somerville Deanna Benevidez Carol Hoskins Alison Tripp Allen Berrien Betsy Howie Gary Tripp Roy Bickley S. William Jenks The Rev. Heidi Truax Devin Boyden Celia Kirby Jane Tuttle Nicholas Boyden Richard Kirby Alice Tweed Eleanore Boyse Sue Kozlowski Max Ule Matthew Boyse Jacqueline Kuhn Janet Walker Terri Brennan John Kuhns Diane Walters Geoffrey Brown Rachel Lamb Tim Ward Judith Sherman Brown Patricia Landis Arete Warren Anya Browning Jason Larson Kathy Wohlfert Marian Browning Leanne Larson Norma Wright Slava Browning Jane Lipton Laura Zele Jane Ellen Canfield John Lloyd Mary Anne Carley Linda Lloyd Lonnie Carter Sunny MacMillan Heather Chapman Maurice Maddox Fran Colombo Jackson Marvel Barbara Commerford Ruth Mulcahy James Conzo Lucia Mulder Michael Cuoco Pieter Mulder Jeremy Dakin Taylor Neil Dan Deluca Martha Nesbitt Virginia Dildine Keith Nolan Emily DiMartino Hilary Novik Al Dorf Olivia Novik Alexis Dorf John Oler Kathy Drake Randy Orzano Cheryl Duntz Chris Pavia Courtney Duntz Robert Reid Russell Duntz Biz Rogers Virginia Ferranti Christopher Sanger Pari Forood Nina Sanger M.E. Freeman Nancy Schaefer Judith Frost Susanna Schindler Sscott Frost Thomas Schindler Danielle Gaherty Bob Schumacher TRINITY CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P. 4

5 OFFICERS AND VESTRY FOR 2017 OFFICERS Senior Warden: Carol M. Taylor Junior Warden: Pari Forood Clerk: Allen Berrien Treasurer: Beverly Becker Assistant Treasurer: Martha Nesbitt VESTRY MEMBERS Class of 2019 Gordon Gustafson Susannah Schindler Class of 2020 Al Dorf Rachel Lamb Alice Tweed CONVENTION DELEGATES Bev Becker Terri Brennan Marian Browning, alternate 2017 Annual Meeting TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.5

6 MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING 2017 The meeting was called to order at 11:46 PM on January 22, 2017 in Walker Hall by The Reverend Heidi M. Truax, Rector. There was a quorum of members of Trinity Lime Rock church present. Allen Berrien was unanimously elected to serve as Parish Clerk. The minutes of the December 21, 2016 Vestry meeting were unanimously approved. The Rev. Heidi Truax, presented the Rector s report. Heidi noted that with respect to that report, the product was not a prescriptive for child rearing. Heidi s report was unanimously accepted. Our Stewardship Chair, Tom Schindler, presented the Stewardship report and made note of the afternoon garden party he and his wife hosted for church members who submitted early bird pledges. Tom also noted an end of the season shortfall in the goal for funding stewardship. Our Treasurer, John Oler, submitted the Treasurer s report. John noted that the operating expenses are budgeted at $135K, with $111K having been raised thus far. John also noted that of the 71 families who are members of the congregation, Trinity Lime Rock had received pledges from 41. John also presented the Financial Report and asked for examples of Trinity Lime Rock s mission and stewardship in action in the preceding year. Additionally, John also asked for suggestions to keeping the church s stewardship efforts salient to the needs of our community in the next year. Randy Orzano made some remarks at the end of his tenure as Senior Warden, Alexis Dorf summarized the materials read at the Book Group, and Heidi Truax spoke about the Bible Study Group. Taylor Neil summarized the program for Youth Ministry and Alice Tweed referred everyone to her written report on the Altar Guild, stating that there was nothing to add. Marian Browning reported for the Flower Guild and expressed her appreciation for the efforts of Judy Brown and Diana Mundy. Pari Forood thanked Gordon Gustafson for his tireless work at Buildings and Grounds Chair, and Carol Taylor thanked Heidi Truax for all her work for the parish. The Episcopal Church Women reported that they were waiting for an opportunity to free up the church kitchen for the installation of new flooring. Mary Anne Carley presented a summary of the juried art show events, and Danielle A. Gaherty remarked on the Annual Invitational Art Show s outcome. Keith Nolan offered his usual tongue-in-cheek summary of the dinners attended by the Men s Group. Geoffrey Brown summarized his work as the Verger and voiced his enthusiasm for the project of improving the lighting in the nave. Bev Becker presented a summary of the events at the Diocesan convention. The new slate of church officers were approved unanimously. Senior Warden Junior Warden Clerk Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Pari Forood Carol Taylor Allen Berrien Bev Becker Martha Nesbitt Vestry, Class of 2018: Rob Babcock (filling an unexpired term) Vestry, Class of 2019: Gordon Gustafson, Susanna Schindler TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.6

7 Vestry, Class of 2020: Diocesan delegates: Alternate delegate: Al Dorf, Rachel Lamb, Alice Tweed Bev Becker, Marian Browning Terri Brennan (After the meeting was ended, Terri Brennan and Marian Browning changed roles.) Here is the corrected diocesan delegate roster: Diocesan delegates: Alternate delegate: Bev Becker, Terri Brennan Marian Browning The date was chosen for the next annual meeting. It is to be Sunday January 21, (In case of snow, the 2018 Annual Meeting will be held the following Sunday: January 28, 2018.) Allen Berrien, Clerk See you in September BBQ Chocolate sundae Sunday! CROP walk Blessing of the (shy) Animals! Regionette luncheon TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.7

8 PARISH STATISTICS 2017 Baptism: Bentley Vakassian May 21 Confirmations: Joshua Schumacher & Tyler Schumacher Dec. 3 Marriages: Holly Hagan & Mike Oehmler May 27 Hilary Novik & Derek Sandberg June 24 Emily Barton & Doug Bottum Aug. 12 Burials: Wheaton Byers May 20 Angela Ule June 17 Margaret Webber Nov. 3 Average Sunday Attendance: 64 Easter Attendance: 189 Christmas Attendance: 184 All Saints Day Photo: C. Gevert TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.8

9 year to $752 per year. RECTOR S REPORT In Christ there is no East or West, in him no south or North, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. Hymnal 1982 # 529 ( Afro-American Spiritual) I was given a copy of the 1968 Annual Report for Trinity Lime Rock recently. So many things were different back then, fifty years ago! The annual budget was about $26,000. And the budget was balanced! We paid the rector, the Rev. Bruce LeBarron, $5,200 per year (plus pension and insurance.) $7,600 was received in pledge income from 47 pledging units. The pledges ranged from $5 per Trinity conducted an every-member canvass each year, and the rector happily reported that more people were coming to understand the concept of Stewardship, and the necessity of everyone to participate in the total life of the parish. Bishop Laura Ahrens came to confirm two of our young people Photo: G. Brown Luminaria lit the way to the Christmas Eve service Photo: G. Brown We had 33 children in Sunday School in The rector was pleased that so many families were taking part, and happy that the 1969 budget included about $200 to be spent on the materials used for the children. But the rector laments in his report that he asked a number of people to take on the supervision of the Sunday School and everyone turned me down cold. Ah well, there s always a little trouble in paradise. One thing that really surprised me was that at that time there were only 38 voting members! The average Sunday attendance was about 65. And the priest says that there were 110 active communicants. So why were so few able to vote? Evidently we were very strict back then about who was allowed to have a say in church matters. To qualify to be on the voting roles parishioners had to be faithful attendants at services for at least six months prior to the annual meeting, and faithful financial contributors to the church. It was up to the vestry to decide on a case by case basis who was judged to be faithful in these categories. It was a very different time in the life of the church! Voting was an exclusive privilege that was only given to a few chosen parishioners. And so here we are in 2018 with so many things different, and some things still very much the same. We worship in the same beautiful building, we say almost the same prayers, and we sing many of the same hymns. I am very glad, though, that we are not still back in Of course, the most obvious difference is that I, as a woman, would not be able to be your rector. We allow the participation in voting on church matters by all who are very generally known to be faithful attendees and supporters. No one is going to do a test to determine fitness for that. If you care about Trinity Church, and the programs and activities in which we are involved, by all means, vote! When I read that Fr. LeBarron quoted the hymn above I was curious to read what his message to the congregation was, and why that hymn was important to him. I thought perhaps that he would talk about Trinity s efforts to reach out to people of different backgrounds, and cultures. But in reading Fr. LeBarron s report, I saw that the church was mostly inward looking in that day and age. There was no mention of community activities to help others less fortunate, or offer food, and support to those who are in need. There was no mention of church services in nursing homes or Sharon Hospital. I m sure Fr. LeBarron did pastoral care, but he does not mention it at all. TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.9

10 I m very proud of Trinity Church in 2017, heading into We do not just focus on ourselves, and solely on our personal relationship with God. We care about people around us on every side. The numerous reports included in this Annual Report from our faithful leaders of ministries show how we have come to see God s Church, and God s Mission as a mission to reach out to the East and to the West, to the North and to the South; to be people who give of ourselves freely, just as God has given freely to us. Thank you to all of you. You make being your rector a pleasure. The people of our parish are caring, committed and faithful in every sense of the word. I m so grateful to be able to know, and love, and serve God with each one of you. Faithfully, Heidi In Christ now meet both East and West, in him meet South and North, all Christly souls are one in him throughout the whole wide earth. Verse 3 of Hymn #529 WARDENS REPORT Parish Vitality and Ministries It seems like the year 2017 had just begun and yet here we are in a wonderfully snowy 2018! We are witnesses to Parish Vitality here at Trinity we ve done so much that at times we were confronted with the problem of not having enough hands. But thank God, the work gets done. We have a fully integrated Vestry representing the many talents and experience needed to run Trinity efficiently and effectively. Because Trinity has an excellent relationship between Pastor, Vestry and Parishioner volunteers, we are able to work together to achieve our ministry goals. The following is a review of some of the year s activities that kept Pastor Heidi, the Vestry and Parishioners on the move: Early in the year, the Outreach Committee finalized plans for the year and planned the Annual Community Brunch. What a fruitful meeting, as it was then that the Rev. John Carter gave an update on the Sanctuary Workshop that was held at Trinity in February. He reported there was a small group organizing resources to assist our sisters and brothers in the community affected by the recent immigration crisis. An outcome of that initiative is our current Latino ministry where Trinity hosts the Misa en Español monthly with the Rev. Carter (Padre Juan); and Vecinos Seguros, the Safe Neighbors ministry that grew out of the Misa group. No other parish is doing this in our area. Pastor Heidi and the Rev. Carter have been successful in obtaining two grants from the ECCT to support the Latino ministry. Trinity parishioners have been very generous in their support as well. Portions of the grant proceeds come to Trinity for its hosting contribution. At this same meeting, Randy Orzano gave an update on the Living Local, Joining God initiative and the Parish Guiding Team, which is tasked with seeing what God is up to in our neighborhood. The LLJG program is an experiment of the ECCT and Trinity was selected as one of only six parishes out of 164 to participate. A community-based ministry opportunity was brought to the Vestry by Cheryl Duntz. We accepted the invitation and twice this past year we cooked and served dinners along with St. Joseph s (St. Martin of Tours) members at the Northwest Community Dinner which is held at the Bitterman Center in North Canaan. The above are in addition to the many other ministries our members and Youth Group historically support, e.g. food insecurity, the backpack program, Habitat for Humanity, the CROP Walk, etc. Our all inclusive nature to welcome all who need us (as we need them) builds a deep relationship with our community and the work makes for a healthy parish and draws our church community closer. ECCT and The Wider Church Because the ECCT has devised a new organizational structure for the diocese, Trinity is part of the Northwest Region and in the summer, we hosted the ECCT NW Regionette, a subgroup, aka The Thru Hikers. We TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.10

11 were given an update on our new NW Region Missionary, Eliza Marth and enjoyed fellowship, an outdoor exercise and a lovely potluck. The NW Regional Convocation was held in July at White Memorial in Litchfield where Allen Berrien represented Trinity. The purpose was to discover opportunities for partnerships in ministry and share ideas with other parishes in the NW Region. Also in July, the Iron Bridge Picnic and Eucharist was organized by Pastor Heidi and the Rev. David Sellery of St. John s, Salisbury. Bishop Ian Douglas and several people from the ECCT attended as well as members of Trinity and St. John s. The focus of this gathering was to provide Trail Magic (unexpected acts of kindness) for hikers along the AT. Allison Huggins, ECCT associate, and fellow hikers enjoyed the picnic and service. Special thank you to Pastor Heidi for taking time out of her vacation to do this! The Trinity Wall Street Retreat Center in West Cornwall held its Open House for Iron bridge picnic surrounding churches and neighbors in the community. Al Dorf and Carol Taylor were among the 400 attendees. The rehabbed Center is wonderful and inviting. Al and Carol reported it would be a great site for a Vestry retreat and the Vestry has committed to using the Center for its retreat this year. Pari Forood and Al Dorf attended the ECCT Budget Listening Session that was held in Torrington in the fall. These sessions are informational and held prior to Convention for the purpose of educating Convention delegates voting on the ECCT budget. Pari and Al reported back to the Parish of the financial status of ECCT and expressed great confidence in ECCT in the management of diocesan finances. Income projections for the next five years are forecast to be flat due to declining membership. Parish Enhancements Early in the year the Vestry discussed that there might be value in having a Telephone Team make calls to the list of parishioners who have been missed at recent services and invite them to attend parish events. So we now have a team (Allen Berrien, Rachel Lamb, Carol Taylor and Alice Tweed) whose purpose is to let people know that Trinity is thinking about them, misses them and also encourage them to come and worship. The calls uncovered two families who have moved on. On the other hand, this idea has developed into the Parish Helpers where parishioners in need of assistance with errands or food on a temporary basis have a way to get that help. Rachel Lamb leads this effort by reaching out and soliciting volunteers. Thank you to all who embraced this new ministry. New kitchen floor! CPR/AED training was made available to parishioners by Pat Barton. Six attendees are now well prepared to help parishioners and visitors in an emergency and we also have a portable defibrillator. Some Words About Parish Financial Health Notwithstanding the wonderful worship, vitality, flow of ideas, and welcoming new members, there is work to be done concerning our Parish finances. During the budget process for 2018 which coincides with Stewardship season, as we approached our budget deadline incoming pledges fell short of our financial needs. This is the second year we are in an underfunded status, as we are down from a projected budget for 2016 of $160,000 to $130,000 for There is nothing to cut and Pastor Heidi has graciously, for 2015, 2016 and 2017, declined to receive the raise in her stipend as mandated by the Canons. Pastor Heidi is currently at three-quarter time status and the Vestry will not pursue half-time status because of the impact it would have on our Parish life. Pastor Heidi works assiduously for our Parish and certainly deserves commensurate compensation. The Parish is invited to consider its responsibility to this commitment. TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.11

12 In 2017 we had our financial processes reviewed by our Accountant and were advised that although funds are generously donated for sundry causes, they are restricted to a particular use and not available to fund the operations of the Parish. We need balance. Please refer to the detailed financial documents in this Annual Report. We also have engaged an auditor to conduct our financial reviews; this is a requirement for all parishes. We invite you to prayerfully consider two things: 1. If you are not currently pledging, meaning committing to give a certain amount either weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or otherwise, please consider doing so as Trinity needs you. Pledges are for the ongoing operations of the Parish: salaries, office supplies/equipment, heat, electricity, building maintenance, diocesan pledge, etc., and allows us to make income projections for the annual budget. You may want to give a fixed amount or practice proportional giving. Proportional giving allows you to give a percentage of your income, 1%, 2%, 3% and so on. As income grows, your giving grows. Or, you can increase your percentage of giving annually. The Stewardship Chair or Treasurer can provide you a pledge card. 2. If you are already a pledger, thank you! We invite you to consider increasing your pledge to help us meet inflationary costs each year. Finally, Many thanks to Pastor Heidi for her calm and loving guidance, willingness to listen and being open to new opportunities for ministry. Thank you to the Vestry, committee chairs, youth and youth leaders and all Parishioners for your gifts of time and talent throughout the year. Thanks be to God. Faithfully submitted, Pari Forood and Carol Taylor Wardens FINANCIAL $TEWARD$HIP REPORT $110,696 for operations $129,408 for operations $ 16,240 for capital expenses $ 13,200 for capital expenses Thanks to the 47 pledging units who participated in this year s financial stewardship program. Ironically, we did less than last year to encourage annual giving. Last year we held an Early Bird reception; this year we didn t. Last year we sent out two letters; this year only one. Last year we had more meetings, which were necessary and very beneficial for the new chairman (me). Alexis was wonderful about sending out thank you notes to each pledger. Thanks also to Pastor Heidi and the Vestry for their support. Tom Schindler, Stewardship chair FLOWER COMMITTEE REPORT Many thanks to all the parishioners and volunteers who have helped during the year, especially at Christmas and Easter. Without your help our church would not be as festive and welcoming. Special thanks to have drill will travel Dakin for faithfully installing (and uninstalling!) the pew candlesticks at Christmas and Easter. Parishioners are invited to sign up for flowers throughout the year, with the exceptions of Advent and Lent, when flowers are not appropriate to the season. Flowers may be offered in Easter flowers memory of loved ones, in thanksgiving, or for special events such as graduations, weddings, new babies and anniversaries---or just because we want to honor someone important in our lives! TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.12

13 The sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Guild Room. Please note on your check s memo line FLOW- ERS, so that your donation will be credited appropriately by our bookkeeper. Flower Committee members: Joanne Grafe, Marian Browning, The Rev. Heidi Truax, Judy Brown, Jacqueline Kuhn and Tom Schindler. Joanne King Grafe, chair ALTAR GUILD REPORT Our mission is to coordinate the needs of worship at Trinity with the care of the Sacristy such as the elements of bread and wine (also grape juice), silver, brass and linens. Director: Alice Tweed Members: Beverly Becker, Michael Cuoco, Ginny Dildine, Taylor Neil, Biz Rogers There were two Altar Guild meetings and brass cleanings in As Director of the Altar Guild, I extend my thanks to the members for all they do to enhance the worship at Trinity Lime Rock. The care and artistry shown by this group from their commitment and work on the Altar to maintaining the brass, silver and linens is a ministry of which we can be proud. New members are always welcome; anyone interested in this special ministry may talk to Pastor Heidi or myself. Alice Tweed ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION REPORT The Bible Study that meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 has a regular group of attendees. Last January we finished the Book of Proverbs and began First Corinthians, which was followed, logically enough, by the reading and discussion of Second Corinthians. In the season of Pentecost we began the Acts of the Apostles, and finished it at the beginning of Advent. We have started in January 2018 with the Gospel of Matthew. All are welcome! You don t have to be a Biblical scholar or sign up to be a regular attendee. The Second Tuesday Book Group took on a variety of readings in 2017, ranging from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Not in God s Name Confronting Religious Violence in January, through Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan s The Last Week, which we read during Lent. We also considered Walter Brueggeman s The Prophetic Imagination (so what, exactly, is the job of a prophet?) and the NY Times best seller, Hillbilly Elegy, which speaks poignantly to the issues facing the country today. Thomas Friedman s Thank You for Being Late introduced us to the perfect storm of artificial intelligence, globalization and climate change and how they interact to affect all of us. Then we switched up to Neil de Grasse Tyson s Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (which we were not!), followed by an interesting series of biographical sketches in David Brooks The Road to Character. We ended the year, appropriately, with Becoming Wise, by the award winning host of On Being, Krista Tippett. TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.13

14 OUTREACH MINISTRY On March 19 Trinity hosted its annual Outreach Brunch. Recipients of our $100 donations to their non-profit organization were : The Jane Lloyd Fund, the Mid CT Council on Alcoholism, and the Time Out Foundation. Due to illness, Lee Bodkin from MCCA and Dr. Corey Kalser from Time Out were not able to attend. However several folks from the Jane Lloyd Fund were able to attend and even attended our service and brought food for the potluck dinner! All of the groups received their donations and we had a great meal as usual! We will be having our next annual Outreach Brunch very soon so let me take this opportunity to ask you once again to Habitat Build Day please participate by bringing yourselves and some food to this lovely event. Date soon to be announced. Nominees for our invitations are now being taken, so please contact Jim, Bev, Heidi, Alexis or some other member of the committee with your suggestions! Happy backpack recipient! NY Cycle Club Lenten lunch On May 27, Trinity once again opened its doors to the New York Cycle Club. While proceeds from this event are not huge, we provide a most welcome rest stop and snack bar to this group of extremely appreciative folks! Many of the cyclists have returned year after year and look forward to our hospitality. Thanks once again to Tom and Susanna Schindler for heading up this effort and to everyone who donated food and/or directed traffic in Walker Hall. On July 8 a group from Trinity Church and Trinity Glen took part in a Habitat for Humanity build day at a house in Sharon. It was extremely hot, but we did our small part in getting this home completed and ready to be inhabited! In August our young people organized a back pack collection for the children of North Canaan Elementary School. Thanks to all of you for taking this on. Weather was a big national headliner in 2017 and disastrous hurricanes and flooding left many here on the mainland and on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without much of anything. Trinity joined the effort by Church World Service to provide buckets of personal health aids and buckets of tools to help the people affected by the storms to rebuild their lives and their homes. Trinity hosted the Northwest Community dinners in March and October, and as we have for a number of years, Trinity participated in the annual CROP WALK to end hunger on September 24. Once again Trinity had a strong presence at the annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Pilgrim House, founded and organized by our own Bev Becker and done collaboratively with our area churches and with donations from local folks and businesses. This brings a lot of happiness as well as nourishment to a lot of folks who might not have anywhere else to go on Thanksgiving! We had a big turnout this year because of good weather and we served over 150 dinners! I have a great time year after year! Thanks to all involved in this wonderful event and a special thanks to Pari Forood, who spent hours and hours washing and drying dishes with me and a few other volunteers whose names I don t know! It s hard to calculate the hours chef Mike English (OMG what an original, as well as a true angel) and his crew put into making this meal happen as magnificently as it does every year! Thanks to Cheryl Duntz for getting a Christmas gift and clothing drive organized for needy children in our area! TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.14

15 Here are some other highlights of our Outreach mission: Trinity took part in an observance of Pearl Harbor Day in Canaan on December 7. The young people worked with the Little Guild of St. Francis donating food and toys as well as volunteering. They chose Little Guild as the recipient of the monthly Thank Offerings, as well. Our ongoing collection of food and supplies for the Corner Food Pantry. Thank you so much, Alexis! Our support of and collaboration with Trinity Glen. We might be the greater beneficiaries here at Trinity. Thanks guys, for all of the wonderful work you do!! Ongoing support of our Syrian family in Salisbury along with our neighbor churches. Lay led worship services at Pine Grove. Worship services at Geer Village, Geer Nursing Home, Noble Horizons, Sharon Health Care, and Sharon Hospital. ( Heidi s motto is Have Host, will travel :0) We are home to Misa en Español with Padre Juan Carter We support Vecinos Seguros (Safe Neighbors) We participated in a benefit lunch for Americares, organized by Fran Colombo. Thanks to all those I did not specifically mention by name! Thanks to Heidi for being Heidi! Thanks to Alexis for so many things! Jim Conzo and Bev Becker, co- chairs PARISH HELPERS Parish Helpers is a new committee founded in the last quarter of We consist of ALL willing members of the Trinity Congregation and happily welcome anyone who wants to help fellow parishioners in times of need. Our goal is to offer companionship along the Way by providing meals, a ride, a dump run, a telephone call, company on a short walk, a visit, sitting with a family member to provide the caregiver with a few moments respite or running an errand. We all experience times of illness or injury or the loss of loved ones. Who better to come to our aid than the members of our Church Family, especially if family members are far away? In the short time we have been in existence we have made phone calls, provided meals, notified folks that they are next on the Parish Cycle of Prayer and started sending out Birthday cards to parishioners once again. We even have members who are willing to help with a dump run when necessary! If you find yourself in a tough spot and need a hand, or know of another parishioner who does, please let Pastor Heidi or Rachel Lamb ( ) know. If you are willing to be part of this important ministry, TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.15

16 please sign up on the board in the Guild Room. Early reviews indicate that the folks who have received our help are most appreciative! Help us show Christ's love for one another! Rachel Lamb Chair BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS REPORT Site preparation Finally! Parking lot is lit! Looking back in my calendar I was surprised to see the number of projects that we accomplished during the year! On Easter Sunday, as a result of a fierce storm, one of the trees behind the church's garage crashed through the back of the roof. With the help of volunteers from Trinity Glen, the debris was cleared and D.J. Hall roofers replaced the rear side of the roof. With funds provided by the ECW we now have a new kitchen floor that was installed in April. For the longest time we've been talking about upgrading the lighting throughout both the church and the parking lot. In early April, after receiving bids from several electrical contractors, Bell Electric was selected and installed supplemental lighting at the crossing in the front of the sanctuary. They also installed the new track lighting in Walker Hall in support of the numerous and ongoing art shows that Trinity hosts. Eastside Electric installed the new parking lot and exterior lighting. DeAngelis Contractors, our neighbor, did the excavation work and cleanup afterwards. We have applied for an ECCT Grant for Capital Improvements for Parishes (see below) From July on, the projects slowed significantly but there always seems to be something going on with buildings and grounds. Trinity Glen has been a constant source of willing volunteers to help keep the exterior grounds cleaned up, usually for the price of lunch at Mizza's! Love that place. The most recent was just before the Bishop's Visitation in early December when four men worked for nearly a half day cleaning up the property to give Bishop Laura Ahrens a tidy welcome. Also I don't want to forget to say thank you to parishioner Russell Duntz for replacing the broken timer that controls the exterior lights. Next year's report will include the excitement of the January 2018 furnace problems, but that's for another year! Welcome, Spring! Thank you all that helped keep our church running and operational this year that I may have forgotten to mention. Gordon Gustafson B&G chair TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.16

17 Trinity Episcopal Church 484 Lime Rock Rd. Lakeville, CT Application for the ECCT Grant for Capital Improvements for Parishes. Submitted by Senior Warden Pari Forood, and Rector Heidi Truax Contact: , & , Two Phase Lighting Project for Trinity Church Let there be light! In 2017 Trinity Lime Rock embarked on a two phase project to improve the lighting for parishioners, visitors, and community members who use our facilities. This has been long overdue, but the costs are quite substantial for our parish, and in the past there has always been something more important to tackle than lighting improvements. We conceived the project in 2016, and received quotes and compared prices of lighting fixtures during the early spring of Phase One was completed at the beginning of May Phase Two was completed a day before our Memorial Day Juried Art Show. Phase One Parking Lot Lighting, Walkway lighting Let there be light for our visitors and parishioners so that they feel welcome and safe! For the 142 year history of Trinity Church there have been no lights in the parking lot of the church. That is not to say that there have been no nighttime activities at Trinity - quite the contrary! Over the decades there has been more going on at Trinity in the evenings than at any time in the past. We have concerts given by our affiliated Crescendo music group and they rehearse at the church at night during the three colder seasons of the year. Community groups meet in the church as well as a new Spanish language ministry. We now have 3 or 4 art shows every year which include nighttime receptions. We have had recovery group meetings here for at least 25 years severely impacted by the lack of light. We have Evensong services, Easter Vigil services, and other nighttime dinners and activities including community dinners to welcome all who may be interested in learning more about us as well as Christmas tree lighting, carol singing, confirmation class, etc. People had to bring their own flashlights to make their way to the parking lot! We installed three light poles in the parking lot, and two lights on the fronts of the two main entrances to Walker Hall. This will light up our walkways, and parking areas. Finally, we now feel that we must have light out in the lot for safety reasons, in order to be the welcoming church that we know ourselves to be. Purchase and installation of three light poles & 2 wall lights by Eastside Electric $8, Excavation for new light poles and electric conduit by DeAngelis Co. $1, Phase Two Walker Hall Lighting Total Cost of Phase I - $9, Let there be light for our artists and gallery visitors so they can appreciate the beauty of the works! With the incredible help and support of the parish and outside artists working together, we turn our parish hall (Walker Hall) into an art gallery 3 or 4 times a year. But, sadly, the lighting for the artwork is not good. We have been using aluminum shop lights for the last few years to highlight paintings, photographs, and sculptures. People come to see the shows from many towns around, and we have been pleased to sell quite a bit of art to help support artists and church alike. We take a 30% commission on art sold. This pays for lights, heat, office supplies and promotion of the shows. We all volunteer our time to help "sit" the shows, and we TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.17

18 donate food and beverages for the receptions. We will need a significant amount of money to put in a proper lighting system with moveable LED lights to showcase the art, and make our parish hall more welcoming gallery space that it is already developing into. Purchase of lights, track, & bulbs from Home Depot (1 online & 3 in store) $ Installation of the lighting system by Bell Electrical Contractors 1, Total Cost of Phase II $2, Total Cost of Project $12, The Rev. Heidi Truax, Rector 2017 JURIED ART SHOWS There were two Juried Art Shows with a Call for Entries format held at Trinity in These shows were open to all artists. Both had an entry fee of $30 per artist. Jurors selected the pieces to be hung. For each show, the Jurors awarded three prizes, First, Second, Third, and Honorable Mentions. Also the public and the members of Trinity Church, at both shows had the opportunity to vote for the piece they preferred, and after the votes were counted, the most popular piece in each show received A People s Choice Special Award. The first Juried Show of the year, just prior to Memorial Day opened with the reception on Friday evening, May 26 with the show hours being noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, May 27, 28, 29 and Saturday and Sunday June 3 and artists entered. The Jurors for the Memorial Day show were Judith McElhone, a graduate of the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, and the Executive Director of the Five Points Gallery in Torrington, CT, an award winning nonprofit contemporary gallery. The second juror was Karl Goulet, also a graduate of the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, who is presently the Gallery Manager and Assistant Curator at the Five Points Gallery. The income from the artist entry fees, commissions, sold pieces and from the door prize was $1745 less the expenses of $325 for honorariums and prizes awarded, giving income to Trinity of $1420 from the 2017 Memorial Day Show. The second Juried Show was held with the opening reception being Saturday, October 7 just prior to Columbus Day. The show ran Saturday, Sunday and Monday Oct. 7, 8, 9 and Saturday and Sunday Oct. 14, 15, all of the days from noon to 4 p.m. 45 artists entered. The Jurors were Clayton Buchanan an award winning artist who studied Impressionist painting with Henry Hensche, Provincetown, MA and Figure/Portrait painting with William Draper, Art Students League, NY. The other juror was Tim Good, the owner of the Good Gallery in Kent, CT which offers Art Services such as Gallery shows, Framing and Art Conservation. The income from artist entry fees, commissions and sold pieces was $2304 less the expenses of $425 for honorariums and prizes awarded, giving income to Trinity of $1876 from the 2017 Columbus Day Show. Total Net Profits for Trinity from both Art Shows in 2017 was $ $1876 = $3296 Mary Anne Carley, Chair of Trinity Juried Shows TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.18

19 SUNDAY SCHOOL/YOUNG PEOPLE S REPORT Smiles - check giggles - check a desire to learn - check participation in spades - check Trinity s Sunday School continued its tradition of a one room school house, with attendees from three years of age to sixteen (our former younger students are in high school now!) We have welcomed new families this year and have been delighted to see returning families both local and weekenders. Given how busy everyone s schedules are, it is heartening to see the young people choose to participate in Sunday School. The school year program focus has been a combination of class room discussion regarding Bible study combined with an introduction to the Living Local program in which the parish has been participating. Our young people continue to join the congregation at the peace and participate as ushers which they look forward to (a bit more training on this front is needed but we are getting there!) We have also continued with the monthly Youth Sunday; our younger readers have done quite well and take their roles seriously. Summer saw a return to the Sports program with a different sport chosen each week. This fall Pastor Heidi led the confirmation class for two of our young people, and we celebrated their confirmation by Bishop Laura Ahrens. Little Guild Our young people chose Little Guild as their Outreach Project for They attended the training program and spend one Saturday a month showering with affection the cats and dogs waiting for homes. In addition they also organized the backpack drive, donating to Pilgrim House in North Canaan. The bags went to students ranging from first grade (Falls Village) to a senior in high school (Crayville). Jean Chapin, Executive Director of Pilgrim House, mentioned in her thank you note that one young girl felt she would now be able to do her homework as she now had supplies! We finished off the year with the young people putting together the Christmas Pageant as a joint effort with the four-legged TA s and friend(s) participating as well. Needless to say the TA s adore the young people and vice versa. As always I believe that the friendships our young people form will serve them well, and the warm welcome from the adults of the parish reinforces a feeling of belonging. From our youngest I like the dogs! I like Sunday School - it s a great place to be! Me, too! to our oldest "To both my sister and I, Sunday School has played 2017 pageant a significant role in the development of my person, and has been a constant in my life since I can remember." new friendships formed - check love of church and community - check Terri Brennan, Sunday School teacher TA s Irish & Acorn All photos: G. Brown Acting is really exhausting! TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.19 Reading at the Christmas service

20 MUSIC MINISTRY REPORT Trinity Church Choir and Vocal Ensemble Members in 2017 (*vocal ensemble members) Kathy Drake*, Linda Lloyd Sopranos; Martha Baer, Pat Barton*, Mary Sullivan Altos; Gordon Gustafson, Randy Orzano (also Counter Tenor)* Tenors; John Lloyd, Tom Schindler* Basses Trinity's Soloists and Cantors: Janet Walker Mezzo Soprano. Kathy Drake and Linda Lloyd sopranos. Pat Barton Alto. Randy Orzano countertenor. Tom Schindler Bass. Guest Musicians at Trinity Church Services: Trinity Parishioners: Frances Colombo, Pari Forood and Carol Taylor. Other: Crescendo Choir and Vocal Ensemble singers; singers of neighbor parishes St. John's, Salisbury, Congregational Church, Salisbury, St. Michael s, Litchfield and St. Peter s Lutheran, Cornwall. Professionals: Ensemble of Andean Instruments with Duo Alturas: Carlos Boltes, Charango and Viola, Scott Hill, guitar; Christopher Belluscio, Boston (Trumpet), Jennifer Tyo and Jordan Rose Lee (Sopranos), Trudy Weaver Miller and Laura Evans (Altos), John Laporta and Doug Schmolze (Tenors), John- Arthur Miller and James Barrett (Baritones). Substitute Organist and Worship Leading Musicians: Ted Sommerville, organ and Doug Schmolze, guitar Crescendo One Choral-Orchestral concert, and two Vocal Ensemble concerts with instruments. Several of our Trinity choir members participate in the Crescendo Chorus, and several of our guest musicians at Trinity Services are Crescendo soloists or instrumentalists. This year we were able to repeat most of the Choral-Orchestra concert program at a festive Evensong in November. Excerpts of the concert programs were also performed by our own choir and soloists with some Crescendo volunteers and paid musicians at our main services on Easter Sunday, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and Christmas Eve Services. Guitarist Scott Hill from Crescendo participated in the Spanish Christmas Mass. Musical Events in 2017 March: Ash Wednesday Service with Choir April: Good Friday: Tenebrae Chamber Music at St. Mary s Lakeville; Palm Sunday, Holy Saturday Easter Vigil and Easter Morning Services with Choir May: Crescendo Vocal Ensemble concert June: Pentecost Service, Trinity Sunday Service August: Musical Summer Academy: private music lessons of Latin American and Western music September: Chamber Music concert with Crescendo Baroque players October: Crescendo Choral-Orchestral concert; November: Choral Evensong 500 Anniversary of the Reformation, Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Trinity December: Bishop s Visit, Caroling at Tree Lighting, Christmas Eve Family Service, Choral concert and Service on Christmas Eve, Crescendo Vocal Ensemble Holiday concert Summary of 2017 Music Our small choir is very committed to their ministry, and leads the sung worship throughout the complete year, without a summer break. At times it is not possible to have all four voice groups, as our choir members travel. All singers are so experienced, that they are able to sing their harmony parts, even if they are by themselves, without a peer in their voice group. At the end of the year we were able to hire a professional soprano, one of Crescendo s section leaders, for all December services. We have considered the benefit of perhaps hiring singers more often. Crescendo musicians are a great resource for the music at our church both professionals and amateurs. Some of the professionals even donated their services to Trinity this year. This year our choir collaborated in composing a Psalm tune, and I wrote a complete Service Music setting (Trinitatis Mass), an Anthem for Trinity Sunday (Round the Lord in Glory), a Sevenfold Amen, Descants, and other settings for use at our services. TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.20

21 Our outreach this year took us to St. Mary s Catholic Church in Lakeville. There I led a musical Tenebrae service, collaborating with four other professional musicians. Preparing for a concert A great highlight this year was the festive celebration of the 500 th Reformation on November 3, when we repeated excerpts of Crescendo s concert program Through Truth We Triumph from Luther to Bach in a joint Evening Service with two Lutheran parishes. Another great collaboration was the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service hosted by Trinity this year. Not only did we have a large choir with members from several parishes of our area, but we also collaborated with the children of the Al Ghanem family in a choral arrangement of God Bless America. They also offered a Syrian Thanksgiving song at the service. For the very first time the Spanish language Service had music for their Christmas Eve service, led by me (organ and voice), and accompanied by Scott Hill on guitar. Esperanza Nuñez and some of her family members sang in the choir and provided lively percussion. Christine Gevert - Organist and Choir Director Background: LATINO MINISTRIES REPORT The new policies of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have created a very high level of anxiety, uncertainty and hardship amongst the 12 million undocumented Hispanic people in The United States. These effects are found locally as well as nationally. This crisis has provided meaningful opportunities to become better acquainted our Latino friends and neighbors and to find ways to support them. Whereas ICE (Customs and Immigration Enforcement) policies for making arrests had been somewhat been restrained in the past, during 2017, nearly all restraints for making arrests were removed. This left ICE agents freer to make arrests, often breaking up families. In response to this new climate of dread and dismay, we launched two separate but closely related ministries early last year. THE MISA The first initiative was the establishment of a monthly Spanish-language service at Trinity Lime Rock Church called the Misa. Worship attendees have come from local towns including; Lakeville, Canaan, Amenia, Millerton, Sharon and East Canaan. The services have gone well. With a low of 8 and a high of 47, attendance average for 2017 was about 22, with a total annual attendance of 247. More importantly, the Misa has become an important spiritual resource as well as a communal gathering place. People are making new friends. The age range is six months to 70s. Typically, the worship service is held on the last Saturday of the month at 6 PM, and is followed by a meal and lively social time. One of the high points of last year was the Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) service in which Christine Gevert and Scott Hill provided strong musical leadership in the singing Christmas carols. Esperanza also led a small but enthusiastic choir. One our goals for 2018 is to provide regular musical leadership at the Misa. None of this would have taken place without the collaboration of Esperanza Nuñez, and the enthusiastic support of Reverenda Heidi Truax and the lay leadership of Trinity Lime Rock. In order to continue and expand our efforts in 2018, we have received a Hispanic Ministries Network block grant from the Diocese of Connecticut. TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.21

22 VECINOS SEGUROS The second initiative, Vecinos Seguros ( Safe Neighbors ), was launched shortly after the Misa. If the Misa endeavors to meet spiritual, pastoral and communal needs, Vecinos Seguros seeks to provide other forms of assistance. Broadly speaking, it is a local sanctuary movement. We have not yet provided safe haven for anyone. Rather, at this point, we believe that our mission is to offer a broad range of supports. We have gone to court as advocates for detainees, raised money for bonds, supported families in which the main breadwinner has been deported or is incarcerated; provided support to those who wished to become legal guardians, given continuing financial assistance to at least one family and bought prom tickets high school girls from Guatemala! We have collaborated closely with Kayla Brier, Congresswoman Esty s assistant in Immigration Affairs, Melanie Whaley, Director of the Duchess County branch of Indivisible, Kara Hart, pro bono Immigration lawyer, Dax Crocker, Yale Divinity School and Abby Nathanson, Director of EPIC, a Latino youth program that operates out of Grace Episcopal Church in Milbrook, NY. We have offered Know your Rights (Conzca sus Derechos) workshops to Latinos, given talks and provided educational opportunities for Anglos, established the means of discrete communications amongst the Latino community, provided transportation and food, developed a network of supporters (over 100), apprising them of emergencies as well long-term financial needs. Two presentations by John Carter and Kara Hart, are scheduled for later in the spring. The presentations will be at Diocesan Spring Training and the CT Chapter of the United Nations volunteers. The generosity, compassion and passion for justice among our supporters is deeply moving and fuels the effort! In recognition of the work of the Vecinos Seguros community, Congresswoman Esty has invited John Carter to be her guest at The National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. in early February. Once again, we would like to express deep gratitude to Heidi and Trinity lime Rock Church. Further and most importantly, none of this could have happened without the amazing talents, skills, creativity, energy and dedication of the steering committee. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Stuyvie Bearns, Terri Brennan, Paula Josa-Jones and Joan Daidone. Finally, we would like to thank all those who made generous financial contributions (large, small and inbetween) to support the ministry of Vecinos Seguros. We are deeply grateful for these gifts. Faithfully submitted, John F. Carter (Padre Juan), Director Esperanza Nuñez, Community Coordinator 2018 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRINITY/LIME ROCK EPISCOPAL MENS SOCIETY FOR ADVANCED DISCOURSE ON THEOLOGY & AUTO MAINTENANCE (A/K/A THE MEN S GROUP) In 2017, our society met less frequently than previously, due admittedly to the lassitude of the chairman. However, turnout was noticeably higher, perhaps indicating that less is better. (With the encouragement of Alexis Dorf to repeat prior report contents, that sentence was lifted from my 2016 report, but sadly it is true for the past year.) We only managed to meet at the Lock-Up in Salisbury in February, the Stagecoach in May and at the Black TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.22

23 Rabbit this past October. However, I think the blame can be shared by the lack of reasonably priced restaurants in this area. There are plenty of expensive choices, but I have observed that the higher we go in price, the lower the turnout. Having meetings less often helps us afford more expensive choices. We are open to suggestions from those of you who research local dining. But our criteria are: excellent cuisine, good service and inexpensive, a challenging hurdle. I am also seeking new theological topics from those of you who think our group is getting too unholy. Many of our dinner participants are suspected of insufficiently focusing on theology and just enjoying themselves. 500 days off Purgatory for any good suggestions. Keith Nolan, permanent chair VERGER S REPORT Four and a half years of my service as Verger are now complete. While things always change over time, the role seems to have settled itself as about 80% administrative tasks, such as managing the rota, and 20% in more typical large-congregation Verger roles, including arranging processions, checking in readers, and assuring that the church is completely set up for whatever kind of service we are having. The people side is the largest component of both. It can be frustrating at times, but it is always rewarding. An especially gratifying part of the people side is working with our growing presence of young people and supporting Terri in integrating them in our worship. Our young people are essential to our long-term viability as a parish church and supporting that program and facilitating its integration in the worship of the parish seems to me to be one of the most important parts of my job. Accordingly, I ve been maintaining a tally of the number of people under the age of 18 present at Trinity each Sunday (both in Sunday School and otherwise in the congregation) for a year and a half now, and can report that for the last six months of 2016, the Average Young People s Sunday Attendance (AYPSA) was For the full year 2017, the AYPSA was 4.81, an increase of 2.0 percent. Trinity has wonderful volunteers, and in growing numbers. While many people serve in multiple roles, I can now call upon 10 individuals in the regular rotation as Ministers of Communion; 26 as Readers and Intercessors; 8 as Ushers; 12 as Counters; 6 Hospitality teams; 4 Altar Guild teams; and 7 who serve as second adult in the Sunday School. This kind of volunteer commitment makes the verger job easy! I know that there are parishes far larger than Trinity that cannot approach this level of parishioner commitment. My 2018 objectives in this position include: --Support the upward trend in AYPSA in any way I can. --Add an usher or two. In conclusion, thanks to all the staff and the volunteers of this parish. You make my burden light. Geoff Brown, Verger Verger reviewing roles wit h our young people on Youth Sunday. (thanks to whoever took the photo! ) TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.23

24 2017 E-COMMUNICATIONS REPORT Highlights of 2017: Our audiences continue to grow (see below) as people more and more understand electronic technology as part of church life as well as of ordinary existence. Trinity Update: Weekly circulation of this e-newsletter grew 5% to 318, up from 303. It was 285 the prior year, and 270 the year before that. Approximately 30% open the each week, and around 4% click through to content elsewhere. Most churches now have a weekly (or monthly) e-newsletter now, and some are more attractive visually than ours. Facebook pages (and group): We continue to maintain three Facebook pages. The main page now has 246 followers, up 6% from 232 last year, 215 in 2015, and 155 in The Gallery page now has 260 followers, up 8% from 241 last year, 137 in 2015, and just 77 in The latter page is entirely maintained by the Art Show committee, and its growth reflects the effectiveness of using a Facebook page as an organic part of a focused activity. The Trinity Lime Rock group and the Trinity Lime Rock Sports page are both placeholders at this time; either could be repurposed quickly to meet a perceived need with some pre-existing members. Caveat: the toxicity of Facebook discourse has, if anything, gotten worse this year. We cannot predict what the future holds for our Facebook activity. YouTube channel and video in general: We added no new videos to YouTube this year. Our young people are planning to create a major video this year, however. We have put up a few Facebook Live videos of activities as they happen, but whether they will rival some of our past video projects in terms of reach is doubtful. We are living in an online video world today, and we need to do better here. Twitter presence: We now have 526 followers, up 2.7% from 512 followers last year, 483 in 2015, 436 in 2014, and 369 in Our feed continues to appear on the website. The same toxicity comment (above) about Facebook applies here as well, but the Twitter trolls use better grammar. Instagram account: We have an active Instagram account with 690 followers, up a whopping 33% from last year s 357 followers, 221 in 2015, and 154 in We post here frequently. An additional account, purposed toward Outreach, is not in current use. For a church, we re doing pretty well here. Website: The website is currently stable and fulfilling two purposes: (1) being the face of the parish that those searching online see and (2) providing a convenient repository for items that need to be available online. We continue to flesh out the static portion of the site as time permits and to the extent information is available, and have modified the dynamic portion so that the ten most recent posts remain visible without a search. We still need a welcome video. Geoffrey Brown, webmaster DIOCESAN CONVENTION REPORT Pastor Heidi, Terri Brennan and I attended the Convention, which was held at the Hyatt Regency in November in Greenwich. Bishop Ian Douglas s keynote speech focused on how the ECCT can participate in God s Mission in changing times and a changing world. At the parish level, we have a place to talk about God and our experiences of the Holy. Additionally, we dwell in the Word as we discern our common life, and are nourished by the Holy Eucharist. Doing so helps us to become more faithful followers of Jesus. Simultaneously, we can move out into the wider community, meeting people and asking what they perceive as the common needs in our towns. In this undertaking, we may discern where God is already acting and where God is inviting us to support established programs and projects. In some places, we may discern that TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.24

25 we are being called to a whole new undertaking. There were 13 resolutions that were considered and voted upon by the delegates during the two-day convention. None of them were earth-shattering, or revolutionary. The Diocesan budget was passed, the canons of the ECCT were amended to reflect that we now have regions and not deaneries, and we recommended some things to the next triennial General Convention. Beverly Becker, delegate Coffee hour The white board says it all! Vestry meeting Trinity Episcopal Church Offering companionship along the Way. 484 Lime Rock Rd Lakeville, CT TRINITY LIME ROCK ANNUAL REPORT 2018 P.25