The Spire. Celtic Evensong & Communion Sunday, Sept p.m. Experience the Holy at our monthly Celtic Evensong. Be A Part of Our Story

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1 The Spire September 2013 Vol. 14, Issue 9 A Message from James C. Sprouse, Senior Pastor Be A Part of Our Story Watership Down, a novel by Richard Adams, is not only an adventure story about rabbits, it is also about the conditions necessary for viable community, namely, the ability to sustain the story that defines its life. The book begins with an exodus, a hazardous journey to a new home, ultimately, Watership Down. The rabbits move out as a group of separate individuals, each with its own reasons for leaving. They become a people, a community, as they acquire a story. And they remain a community so long as they retell their story. So it is with us Christians. Our identity is dependent on having a story to tell which tells us who we are; our understanding of life s meaning and purpose is dependent on our having a story that tells us what the world is like and where we are headed. To be a community of faith, we must be a people with a story: a common memory and vision, common rituals and symbolic actions expressive of our community s memory and vision, and a common life together that manifests our community s memory and vision. The Christian church is a story-formed community. Our most important and foundational task as Christians is to teach and learn God s story. All our Christian beliefs, experiences, and actions are dependent upon our internalizing God s story, that is, making God s story our story. All of this may seem obvious, but it hasn t been normative in the church s life and learning. The Trinity staff and Education team are continually surprised at how few persons in church actually know God s story. More importantly, and what deeply concerns me, is that even those who claim interest in God s story as found in the church s story book, Scripture, are more interested in doctrine than sacred story. The great temptation in all theology is to interpret the foundational stories of the Christian faith and then treat the interpretations as if they were originally given. Theology is founded on thoughts and ideas that, if taken over seriously, actually replace the biblical stories that make faith and community possible with dogma and institutions. Indeed, the vast majority of books published by religious publishing houses turn out to be books on doctrine, as do most of the so-called Bible-centered curriculum resources. Theology and doctrine are important, but they are matters of the head. The stories of the Bible invite the head, the heart and the soul to participate as part of God s unfolding, and never-ending story. Stories are experiential. The participants tell them, and they invite continued participation. The whole Bible is a storybook. Basically, it is a love story between God and humankind; a story of covenant made, broken and renewed again and again. Our task at Trinity, especially in our Church School, is to present and re-present the stories of God until we feel incorporated into the great story. Our greatest human need and most difficult achievement is to find meaning in our lives. We believe that deepest meaning is found when persons are shown how their personal story connects with the ongoing story of God. Join us for story-time each and every Sunday - in worship and in Church School. Pastors Articles 2 Church & Society 4 Crafts for a Cause 4 Membership Update 5 Stewardship 5 Book Chat 5 Music 8 Worship Corner 8 Calendar 9 Celtic Evensong & Communion Sunday, Sept p.m. Experience the Holy at our monthly Celtic Evensong and Communion Service. With both quiet moments of reflection and contemplative music, experience God in a new way. God is waiting. All are welcome.

2 What are Spiritual Gifts? by Amy Crisp, Minister of Education Have you ever wondered what your God-given talents and gifts were? Have you been searching for the place where your deepest desire meets the world s greatest need? God has given each of us different gifts for our varied work in this world. Some of us are teachers. Some are mathematicians. Some are lawyers. All of us possess certain gifts for each of our vocations. Regardless of whether we are clergy or laity, we are all engaged in ministry in God s world. Our talents, abilities, and gifts were given to us in order to fulfill our ministries. This fall, we will be studying Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts: Building Up the Body of Christ Through the Gifts of the Spirit. We will learn about the different spiritual gifts (teaching, prayer, administration, humor, etc.) and will discern which of them we have been given. Furthermore, we will discuss the ways in which we can put those gifts into action in order to serve God and our neighbors. We invite you to join us for this special study, beginning on September 8 at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. See you there! Looking for Something? by Eileen Gilmer, Associate Pastor Because of the fact that you re reading this article, you re probably either: A) A member of Trinity B) A frequent visitor to Trinity C) A curious on-again/off-again guest If you are already a member, we re glad you re a part of the family. If you fall under the B or C category, I hope you ll consider joining or at least finding out more about our church community. No matter your membership status, keep reading. There s a little something here for everyone. This is a question we often ask at staff meetings: What are newcomers looking for in a church? See if this sounds familiar. It s from the Barna Institute, a research group that monitors changes in church growth and practice. Researchers surveyed folks who do not come from traditional, church-attending backgrounds. The research says it s more important for a church to change the hearts and minds of its own people so that they become passionate about reaching new visitors one-on-one, than to have things like a massive outreach program or contemporary service. Christianity is about relationship. We are called to be in relationship with God and relationship with each other. If you are a member or a regular visitor, please take a moment to say hi to the person next to you in the pew. If you re interested in finding out more about Trinity, I hope you ll join us at the parsonage for a lunch and get together on Sunday, September 29 at noon. See page 3 for more details. See you Sunday! PAGE 2 Responding to God s Grace THE SPIRE

3 2nd Annual We Care & Share Golf Classic Monday, September 9 Hidden Creek Country Club Reston, VA Backpack Blessing September 15 10:30 a.m. Children are invited to bring their backpacks to worship on September 15. The backpacks will be blessed and the children will receive a special symbol of this blessing. How You Can Participate: Sign up to play golf Host a team (4 players) Sponsor event (many sponsorship levels available) Your support of the We Care & Share Classic will help support and grow programs that contribute to the health, welfare, and education of children and youth of all ages locally and abroad. For more information, please contact Jim Wilson, , jaswilsom@sloflt.com. THE SPIRE Love Serve Give PAGE 3

4 Ask Biscuit I really love my job as mascot of Trinity United Methodist Church. What s not to love? I get to welcome people when they come to the church office. It s kind of like being a greeter at Wal-Mart, except without the vest or shopping cart. I take my job very seriously. I m one of God s creatures, after all. Psalm 145 tells us The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. Because the Lord is good to me, I think it s my job to share God s love with all I meet. Then, I hope they pass along the love of God to all they meet. It s pretty cool when you think about it. I hope that if you re ever visiting the church office, you ll come see me. My office is right next door to Pastor Jim s. And, don t forget to send me your questions about God, the church, or just about anything else. Here s how you reach me: bit.ly/askbiscuit. Remember my motto: Paws for Jesus! Biscuit Church & Society September Collection Drive We are continuing our collection of school supplies and new or gently used khaki pants (sizes 3T- 14) for Stanton Elementary School. Needed school supplies include 24 count crayons, #2 pencils, glue sticks, rulers, and black marble composition books. Donation baskets are located in the church foyers as well as the Fellowship Building. Thank you to everyone who donated supplies in August, including the children who attended Vacation Bible School. DC Scholars at Stanton by Eileen Gilmer Trinity volunteers are gearing up for another great year with children of the DC Scholars at Stanton. Our volunteers will again be working with students on art projects, science activities, geography maps, creative poetry, classic literature, math and other activities. We ll carpool to Stanton Elementary once a week, starting mid-september. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Suzanne Hamilton, suzanhamil@aol.com, or Armed with puffballs, glue guns and neon knee socks, the Crafts for a Cause crew made 25 sock puppets for the children at the Heart 2 Heart orphanage in Honduras. The crafters also fashioned 25 hand-beaded necklaces and bracelets. The goal of all this labor in August was to provide gifts for ALL the residents of the orphanage, to be delivered by Trinity's mission team in September. There will also be beanbag toss games for the elementary kids and a pizza outing for the teenagers. During September, the crafts group will be busy with ongoing projects of sewing and stuffing pillows, dolls, bears and clothing protectors. Work will also begin on making crafts to sell at the annual HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR, which will begin Sun., Oct. 27, and run during the holiday season. Upcoming work sessions, Mondays at 7 p.m., will be: Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Oct. 7, Oct. 21. Everyone is welcome to join us; instruction provided. For more information, contact Molly Sprouse at mollysprouse@gmail.com or SHARE, Inc. Fundraiser September 10, 2013 Please come support a fundraiser for SHARE, Inc. on Tuesday, September 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pulcinella Italian Host in McLean. Enjoy dinner and know that approximately 70% of the proceeds from your food and drink purchase will go to SHARE, Inc. SHARE, Inc. is a non-profit, all-volunteer food bank and community relief organization helping people in need in the area. The fundraiser is sponsored by Trinity UMC members Karen Briscoe and Lizzy Conroy as well as Pulcinella and other local business owners. Flyers will be available at Trinity in the Narthex and in the Fellowship building. Please bring the flyer to the event so that SHARE will be credited with the donation. There will be flyers available at Pulcinella as well on the night of the fundraiser - so please come! For more information contact Karen Briscoe or Lizzy Conroy at or visit PAGE 4 Responding to God s Grace THE SPIRE

5 Birth Julia Helene Cieplinski Death Kathy Rasmussen Book Chat After a summer respite, the Trinity Book Chat resumes on Wednesday, September 11, with a book by acclaimed author David McCullough: The Greater Journey: Americans In Paris. We'll meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Trinity Library. Just bring a sandwich or salad, if you like (dessert is provided), and enjoy fellowship and lively conversation. Reading the book isn't even required! Coming up: Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale (October 9) and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (November 13). Hope you can join us! Contact Kathy Maher (Kathyngs@gmail.com) if you have questions or would like to be added to the list. Address Change Forrest, Elaine & Michele Colliver 1127 Marion Ave McLean VA Joseph, Susan & Marshall Horn 9506 Macy Ave Vienna VA Stewardship: Why Do I Volunteer? By J.S. Wilson The question of why someone volunteers can be difficult to answer. Many people say that helping others is the main reason they volunteer. They may phrase it in different ways give back, make a difference, promote change, save those less fortunate all altruistic motives. As Sir Winston Churchill once observed, You make a living by what you earn; you make a life by what you give. Volunteering through church, synagogue, mosque, or other house of worship is by far the most popular way people donate their time in the United States. About 40 percent of us volunteer this way. While many folks volunteer for the religious institution itself managing programs, ushering for services, working on finances, going on missions many also volunteer for community-based programs that deal with poverty, hunger, homelessness, children in need, domestic violence, and other humanitarian causes. As you can see, faith-based volunteerism reflects the deep connection people have between their religious beliefs and how those beliefs are put into practice. So why do I volunteer? In a single word: Because! I volunteer: because I watched my parents generation as they volunteered and what it meant to them; because I was mentored, trained, and taught by caring teachers, Scouting leaders, coaches, and senior officers and bosses; because I learned early in my military and business careers that being the best pilot or best program manager wasn t enough; because I learned how to spell the word N-O, but never really embraced it in my volunteer vocabulary; and because while there may have been a spiritual calling for me to volunteer, there have also been times when the right opportunity came along to volunteer for the greater good. When I retired from Raytheon, I had been a member of Trinity for about four years. I realized that I had taken more from the church than I had given. I offered my time, and it was accepted heartily. It became the start of a great relationship between folks here at Trinity and myself. The Finance and Stewardship committees are looking for some new members. If you d like to take some of that great volunteer time that you ve built up and give back, please let us know. As it says in the Bible (1 Peter 4:10): As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good management of the grace of God in its various forms. Are you moving? If so, please send your new address to the church office ( or info@umtrinity.org). This will ensure that we have all the correct information to send news and contribution statements to the correct address. THE SPIRE Love Serve Give PAGE 5

6 Vacation Bible School - Special Thank You to Volunteers Lizzy Conroy and Jen Fuqua-Calsyn, Co-Chairs Love the Lord your God... and love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 During the week of August 12-16, we had over 70 children participate in Trinity s Vacation Bible School (VBS) Program. With a fun World Fair theme, the church rooms were transformed into the Everywhere Fun Fair - Where God s World Comes Together. Each day, the children enjoyed art projects, music, Bible stories, science experiments, snacks and time to just play. Children were introduced to special places all over the world (from Mexico to Australia) and discovered that we are all neighbors and all children of God. The kids also participated in two important mission projects: collecting school supplies for Stanton Elementary School and organizing a food drive for SHARE (led by the 3rd & 4th grade group who also volunteered time at SHARE). All of these activities reinforced our daily friendship phrases: neighbors are friendly, neighbors are giving, neighbors are bold, neighbors are forgiving, and neighbors are welcoming. 3rd & 4th Grade at SHARE, Inc. Many hands and talents are needed to implement a week like this. We are so appreciative to all who gave their time and energy to make this such a successful Trinity program. The children had a wonderful week, and we offer very special thanks to the following people: Chris Abel Jim Sprouse Maria Arnez Molly Sprouse Evan Ayars Marci Love Thomas Erik Bird Michelle Thompson Carol Brunner Victoria Todd Erica Buday Peggy Trapp Sarah Beth Burgess Leslie Vorndran Daniel Chait Alev Weidman Chris Cheatham Cindy Wilson Amy Crisp Jim Wilson Kathie Diapoulis Maddie Faust We hope you will consider joinjerry Fuqua ing us again (or for the first Vicky Fuqua time!) at next year s Brenda Geib VBS! Andy Gilmer Eileen Gilmer Suzanne Hamilton Lynda Hensley Ann Hooton Harriet Latta Catherine Lorenze George Lorenze Adelaide Loving Jamie Loving Allison Mansinne Mary Newcomb Amanda Norton Theresa Reed Josue Ribera Kendall Smith PAGE 6 Responding to God s Grace THE SPIRE

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8 W C orship orner Altar Flowers By Kathy Maher God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars. Martin Luther Altar flowers provide not only beauty but also symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ, expressing to the worshiper the qualities of truth, integrity, simplicity, and purity. The lilies and tulips at Easter remind us of renewed life, and the bright red poinsettias at Christmas allude to the burning, divine love of our Savior. You can be part of this ministry! Donate to the flower fund at Easter and Christmas or choose a special Sunday to commemorate or celebrate people or events in your life, such as birthdays or anniversaries. By donating the Sunday altar flowers, you re sharing the beauty of the resurrection with the congregation. You may take the flowers home with you after the service, but if you leave them, they ll grace the Chapel at the Wednesday noon service. We need sponsors for the following Sundays: September 8, 22, 29; October 20, 27; November 3; and December 1, 8, 15. To sign up, please see the notebook on the stand outside the Chapel or visit bit.ly/altarflowers. Your $45 check can be mailed to the office or placed in the offering plate at any time. (Be sure to write Altar Flowers on the memo line.) We also need volunteers to help arrange the Easter plants and the Christmas poinsettias when they re delivered; if you re interested, please Kathyngs@gmail.com. MUSIC TO CALM THE HEART? Singing hymns can be transcendent, unifying a congregation in a way that is both fervent and soothing. But is there a physical basis for those feelings? Researchers at Sweden s Gothenburg University studied the heart rates of high school choir members as they sang together and found that choral music calms the heart. Using pulse monitors attached to the singers' ears, researchers measured the changes in the choir members' heart rates. Since choral singing is a form of guided breathing, exhaling on the phrases causes the heart to slow down. Moreover, the singers' heart rates became synchronized. The readout from the pulse monitors started as jagged lines but quickly became a series of uniform peaks as the heart rates fell into a shared rhythm. Why not join one of Trinity s choirs this fall and see if the experience soothes your heart as you praise God, make new friends and serve your community? Trinity Ringers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m. Rm. 115 Children's Choir Wednesday, Sept. 4, 6 p.m. Langley Hall, Rm. 115 Memorial Ringers Thursday, Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m. Rm. 115 Chancel Choir Thursday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. Rm. 115 Discover Trinity Lunch Have you joined Trinity within the last year? Thinking about joining? A frequent visitor? Mark your calendar. We'll be hosting a Discover Trinity Luncheon at the Parsonage to answer all your questions. Find out everything from "What do Methodists believe about...? " to "What kinds of missions, ministries and outreach are going on at Trinity?" September 29 Noon 1:30 p.m Gilliams Road, McLean One credit card company has a slogan that says: Membership has its privileges. At Trinity, it's more like: Membership has its opportunities. We hope you'll join us. Contact Rev. Eileen Gilmer for more information: egilmer@umtrinity.org PAGE 8 Responding to God s Grace THE SPIRE

9 September 2013 Sun Mon 1 John Sadler Raquel Saenz Scott Nance & Jayne Peterson Rich & Carrie Sandler 2 Michelle Booth Howard Chatham Judy Ochs 8 Susan Horn David Marley Chuck Riedel & Meredith Broadbent 9 Sue Peine Martha s Table Sandwich Making Tue Office Closed Wed 3 4 David Case Janet Heather Haberl Therianos Margo Thorning Kathi Wise Thu 5 Marsaleete Anderson Joyce Dawson Beverly Lengyel Brett Martin Fri Sat 6 Fran Groover Amanda Manoogian Sue Wegrzyn 7 Jay Arnold Janet Barnes Emma Lepkowicz Alex Lepkowicz Pam Saunders John Totushek Choir Rehearsals Resume, see page 6 10 Avery Higgins Al & Joyce Dawson 11 Marilyn Adams A.J. Coston Zachary Gehring James Haldeman & Sally Aherne John & Rahn Kim 12 Callie Briscoe Phyllis King Jack Newcomb Steven Robeson Stuart Shroff 13 Jim & Molly Sprouse 14 George Galloway Rebekka Long 17 Trustees Christopher Gray Heather Kadel 18 Catherine Bluey Kiara de Luna Will Gottwald Emily Hunt Shelly Slade 19 Nicole Alexander Marlana Barnard Carter Lewis Dan Moore Casey Prestidge Austin Verity Craig & Stacey Fontenot 20 Samantha Betts 21 Conner Moore Steve Ochs Dylan Russell Harry & Donna Bacas 26 Erik Bird Luke Burner Joseph Horn Owen & Sara Parrish 27 Jimmy Higgins Kate Wight Kevin & Stacie Steinke Golf Tournament Bounce Back to School 15 Jack Bainbridge 16 Evan Ayars Steven Stafford Jim & Nancy Donald Backpack Blessing 22 Rusty Bell, III 23 Deryl Dobson Ashley Lawson Richard & Susan Martin 29 Maggie Wise 30 Mandy Coston Annie Lee Powell Isabelle Velez Bill & Kit Arthur David & Pamela Danner Celtic Evensong & Communion 6 p. m. 24 Lily Calsyn Caitlin Danner Richard Holbrook Ethan Keough Kip Laughlin 25 Christ House Men s Retreat 28 Teddy Bluey Jackson CrowMickle Morgan Danner Marvin Quinn Honduras Mission Trip September 26 - October 4 Sept. 29 Discover Trinity Lunch THE SPIRE Love Serve Give PAGE 9

10 The Spire A Monthly Publication of Trinity United Methodist Church 1205 Dolley Madison Boulevard McLean, VA Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID McLean, VA PERMIT NO. 13 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED mailed August 29, 2013 Sent In Prayer To: 3rd Grade Bible Presentation October 6 10:30 a.m. Contact Amy Crisp to be sure your 3rd grader is receiving one. Please Note: The next Spire deadline is the 15th of the month. Spire Editor: Harriet Latta. Submit articles to umtrinity@vacoxmail.com. Trinity United Methodist Church Sunday Morning Worship Services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Adult Sunday School 9:30 a.m. (Sept June) Children's Sunday School 10:30 a.m. (Sept June) Wednesday Communion and Healing 12 noon Here to serve Christ and you: James C. Sprouse Senior Pastor Eileen Gilmer Associate Pastor Amy Crisp Minister of Education Chris Abel Director of Youth Ministry Scott Keough and Leslie Vorndran Lay Leaders Jerry Rich Director of Music Evan Ayars Children/Youth Choir Director Harriet Latta Office Manager Chris Cheatham Sexton Karen Jester Director of Parents Day Out Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Phone: Fax: info@umtrinity.org Web Site: umtrinity.org Facebook: Trinity UMC, McLean The Mission of Trinity United Methodist Church is to be a vibrant, growing church home for all who seek companionship, direction and inspiration in their lives as they develop a personal, relevant relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are anchored in Scripture and energized by congregational commitment. Trinity Church fosters the Christian values of joy, faith, service, hope and love. Trinity extends the opportunity to experience the Grace of God through worship, discipleship, study and fellowship in the traditions of the United Methodist Church.