JULY 2017 THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SUMMER HAPPENINGS ARE COMING 2017
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MINISTRIES CONGREGATIONAL ACTIVITIES TRINITY S BEST KEPT WELLNESS SECRET TRINITY S YOGA INSTRUCTOR, MARK BODNAR On Tuesdays at 8:30am outside B110, you ll often hear the rhythmic sounds of deep breathing, the lilt of sonorous instruction, and the gentle squelch of feet and hands on yoga mats. What you might not expect to hear? Laughter. Trinity s yoga instructor, Mark Bodnar, has a wicked sense of humor and encourages his students not to take themselves too seriously. Your practice should be something that you look forward to, not something just to get over with. Proper form and technique are essential, he says, but so are enjoyment and a spirit of fun. Judging by the smiles on their faces and their repeat attendance, his students have gotten the message. Why else do they keep coming back? Susan Heberton loves that Mark tailors each workout to the needs of the students present. Tweaked your back this weekend doing yard work? On a physical therapy regimen for a problematic knee or carpal tunnel syndrome? Pregnant but still want to exercise? Mark s got you covered. Mark s approach to teaching yoga is not just about having fun and working out. Trinity members will also appreciate the mental challenge of simultaneously holding several different body parts in particular ways to achieve the full benefits of a pose. Watching yourself increase in flexibility, strength, and balance brings a satisfying sense of accomplishment, while growing your relationships with fellow classmates enriches your experience of the Trinity community. And, perhaps most importantly for a church, yoga is also a way to connect to God. Each practice begins and ends with a period of relaxation and meditation, and an invitation to express gratitude for what s good in your life. Students and instructor finish class with the word Namaste, derived from the Sanskrit for I bow to the Divine in you. Come exercise your mind, body, and spirit through Iyengar yoga at Trinity. Never tried yoga before, or haven t practiced in a while? Not a problem. All you need is a yoga mat, a wool blanket, and yourself. Beginners, experienced yogis, non-trinity members, and members of all ages are welcome! Iyengar Yoga, 8:30-10am, Tuesdays in B110. Cost is $10 per class, payable by cash or check made out to trinity. 4
ADULT MINISTRIES WELCOME, SARAH MINISTRIES The daughter of pastors, Sarah Wikle was raised in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. After receiving her B.A. in music and theatre from Rhodes College, she began work in the education and production departments at The Atlanta Opera. She spent 16 years working with William Fred Scott and producing operas. After spending time at home with children, she taught Pre-K and then was the director for Shallowford Presbyterian Preschool. She moved on to work for the music department at Shallowford, in addition to serving as a ruling elder and chair of the worship committee. The past two years she has been the office manager and bookkeeper for a general contracting firm specializing in custom home renovation, Home Creations LLC. Happily married for 24 years to her husband Don, they have two sons, Glenn and Colin. Glenn just finished his first year at Young Harris College and Colin attends Lakeside High School. Sarah loves to sing in the Chancel Choir at her home church, Shallowford Presbyterian. MISSION MINISTRIES HAITI PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE Saturday, July 29 8:30 am, Shallowford Presbyterian Church La Gonâve Haiti Partners, of which Trinity Church is a part, has worked with communities on the Haitian island of La Gonâve to improve access to healthcare, education, economic opportunity, sanitation and clean water. This year's annual LaGonave Haiti Partnership Conference will be held at Shallowford Presbyterian Church on Saturday, July 29, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Cost is $60 per person. For more information, visit www.shallowford.org/haiticonference CONFERENCE SCHEDULE All events will take place at Shallowford Presbyterian Church unless otherwise noted. Friday, July 28 Morning: Board Meeting Afternoon: Group 1-on-1s with Haitian Partners Evening: Dinner for all attendees in a nearby home Saturday, July 29 LaGonave Haiti Partners Annual Conference Evening: Dinner for all attendees in a nearby home Sunday, July 30 8:45 am: Worship with Per Vil Preaching 9:30: Sunday School with Leslie Jordanger, Chair of the LaGonave Haiti Partnership Board 11:00 am: Worship with Per Vil Preaching 5
MINISTRIES CLERK'S CORNER Written by CINDY FERGUSON Greetings, Trinity! I am truly honored and excited to serve as your Clerk of Session this year and look forward to partnering with David Gracey who will serve as Assistant Clerk. I intend to use the Clerk s Corner to keep our membership updated on news and information being addressed and discussed within the Session. I will provide an abbreviated summary of the most recent Session meeting in my monthly article but encourage you to go to the church website at www. trinityatlanta.org where you can view the full Session minutes from any given Session meeting (found under the About tab and then under Resources ). I welcome your questions, ideas, and concerns and invite you to reach out to me at anytime. A bit about me Trinity has been my church home my entire life. My parents, Sally and Reynolds Couch, joined Trinity when I was just a baby and engaged our family in all aspects of church life modeling for my brother and me, their gratitude to God and commitment to their faith and church community. I literally grew up in the church buildings attending Trinity School during the week and church school and worship on Sunday. I was active in youth group, sang in the youth choir, took piano lessons from the choir director (Adele McKee), served as an acolyte, and in later years as a youth advisor. I feel certain my church engagement early on helped build a strong foundation for my faith journey. I was also fortunate as a young girl to have formed a special rapport with Allison Williams who remained an important mentor and friend to me throughout his life. I married John Ferguson (a Presbyterian from Athens) at Trinity, and we have two daughters, Elizabeth (20) and Emily (17), who were both baptized and confirmed at Trinity and who have been active in the children s and youth programs over the years. I served on Session for the first time when Scott Black Johnston was pastor at Trinity, and I chaired the Ministry for Children and Families. I have also served on the Adult Education, Mission, Visitation, Elder Nominating, and Senior Associate Pastor Search committees and am currently serving on Pastors' Aid and as a Stephen Minister. I am now in the third year of a second term on Trinity s Session. I worked professionally in both residential and commercial property management for many years but have been deeply engaged in my children s schools and community organizations over the last 20 years. In addition to leadership roles at both Trinity School and Westminster, I served on the Trinity School Board for 6 years, the Board of the Buckhead Chapter of the National Charity League for 5 years, and currently chair the Advisory Board for Skyland Trail and serve on the Agape Capital Campaign Cabinet. Trinity is truly my second home and such an important part of my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Clerk and work on behalf of the Session and our membership at large to seek ways for Trinity to continue to grow and thrive in our community and the world. I ask for your continued prayers in the coming year for our clergy, staff, and Session as we all strive to discern how God is calling us to make His love visible. JUNE SESSION MEETING SUMMARY Paulette Slawson, Chair of Congregational Care, reported on the feedback she received at the May Session meeting after presenting a proposed covenant on Commitments for Christians in Times of Disagreement. Elders discussed the feedback and offered mostly further positive thoughts regarding the possibility of the Session adopting such a document. Paulette will report again on this topic at the August Session Meeting. 6
Pam Driesell, thanked all Elders who worked on the Volunteer Appreciation Sunday service for both their dedication to their own volunteer efforts and for their leadership in preparing for that worship service. She shared a list of impressive names for possible guest preachers in the coming year, noted her joy in sharing time with the youth at Montreat and the children in Vacation Bible School and offered her gratitude for the clergy and lay leaders in these ministries, and outlined her work and vacation plans during the month of July. Pam also addressed a letter that she and the Clerk had received from a member who was upset by the recent change in the Laying On of Hands portion of the Installation of New Elders on Sunday, May 21. Pam noted that the Worship Leadership Team had been discussing changes to this activity for a number of years and decided to incorporate changes to make the ritual more inclusive for the whole congregation. She does not regret the changes as they led to positive responses from many and no objections from Session but she does regret not having communicated the change to the College of Elders prior to the installation service. A report from Frank Fuerst, Chair of Personnel, indicated that a new Administrative Assistant for Adult Ministries had been hired to replace the position vacated in May. David Carr, chair of the Hiring Committee for the contract call position for Associate Pastor for Emerging Ministries, reported on their hiring process and shared that contract negotiations were ongoing with an excellent candidate and expected to be completed soon. adjacent to Trinity to the south by Christ Church, an Anglican church of about 425 members currently operating out of the Atlanta International School. Given the possible proximity of their construction to Trinity s Memorial Garden, John asked for a motion to allow the Task Force addressing these concerns the authority to make decisions on behalf of Trinity between now and the next Session meeting in August. The motion passed. John Hitchins, Chair of Mission, brought a motion to request that the Trustees facilitate a 3.5% draw from the New Church Development Fund each year for the next 3 years directed to Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church. This is the church former Trinity staff person Jenelle Holmes will lead, and Trinity wants to support this church knowing it will be well led and the funds used appropriately as outlined in the Trust. The motion passed. Lacey Jordan, representing Youth and Families Ministry, and Andrew Esqueda, Youth Ministry Director, reported on the ongoing discussions about intended improvements to the youth space. Susan Reese, previous Session liaison to Trinity Early Learning Center (TELC), brought a motion regarding changes to the TELC Board terms. The motion passed. For more detailed Session Minutes and the corresponding Session packet, please visit the Trinity website as referenced above. MINISTRIES John Dearing, Chair of the Property Committee, explained the intended purchase of the property UPCOMING EVENTS SENIOR ADULTS Visit the Booth Museum The Prime Time Group will visit the Booth Museum on August 12. Tickets will be purchased at the door; bus is $5; lunch is on your own. RSVP to Diana Pedrick, dpedrick@trinityatlanta.org. CHILDREN & YOUTH CHOIRS Choir Registration Register now for the 2017-18 choir season. Visit: www.trinityatlanta.org/worship/music-and-finearts/ 7
celebration sunday AUGUST 20, 2017 SUNDAY MORNING: Worship: 8:45 & 11:00 am Church School: 9:45 am SUNDAY EVENING: Picnic: 5:00 7:00 pm LIVE MUSIC in Williams Hall Courtyard FREE ALL AGES WELCOME