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TRINITY
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
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Trinity Tidings January
2018
Volume 32, No. 1
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Welcome to our new online version of Trinity Tidings.
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Upcoming Events at Trinity:
January 7
Communion Sunday
***
Meet & Greet with
Terry Luzynski
in McKinney Hall at 10:00am
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Ordination of
Officers and Elders
in 11:00am Worship Service
January 10
Wednesday Night Live Resumes
***
Financial Peace University
***
Who Is That Man?
WNL Adult Study
January 28
ONE WORSHIP
at 10:00am with
Congregational Meeting and luncheon
following the service
February 14
Ash Wednesday Service
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Wednesday Night Live
Join us for our regularly scheduled Wednesday Night Live activities beginning
January 10th.
5:30pm WNL Dinner
6:00pm Children’s Choir
6:30pm CWE, Adult Bible Study
6:30pm Chancel Choir Practice
January 10th Menu:
Chicken Pasta Alfredo, Salad, Breadsticks and Cookie
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Welcome to Trinity, Terri Luzynski!
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I am excited to be in South Carolina and serving as Trinity's Director of Christian Education & Youth! I look forward to meeting many of you on January 7th. If you cannot attend the Meet & Greet, please feel free to stop by my office when it is convenient for you. I will be in the office Monday through Thursday and, of course, on Sunday. I have an open door! I can also be reached at (540) 761-8421 or at terri@trinitytr.org.
I shared a little of my background in the letter your received in November, and I will try not to repeat myself too much here. After living in Virginia for the past 33 years, part of my family moved to Taylors last weekend.
(Yes, there are still a few unpacked boxes!) For employ-ment reasons, my husband will remain in Virginia for now. Tom and I have four grown children. Our youngest, McKenna, is a Senior at Furman and intro-duced us to both the beauty and charm of the Greenville area and to Trinity Presbyterian.
For much of the last 13 years, I have been working both as an attorney and as a Director of Christian Education. The last two years, I have also been taking classes through a Christian Growth Institute. Those who know me well, often refer to me as "the energizer bunny;" the busier I am, the more energy I have! In my non-working hours, I enjoy running, working out, roller skating, haunting antique and second-hand shops, and reading. My husband and I love visiting small towns--and thus our attraction to TR!
I am a firm believer that children and youth need to be involved actively in the life of the church and in service to the community, along with having loads of fun. Most importantly, they need to build supportive relationships with each other and a deep, abiding relationship with our Lord. My first official meeting with the youth will be this coming Sunday, and I will work with the children for the first time on Wednesday, January 10th. If you are a parent/guardian, please mention to me on Sunday the best options for a meeting. It takes a joint effort to raise strong Christians, and I value your input in doing my part.
God has great plans. I can't wait to see where He will take us together!
In Christ's service,
Terri
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Dear Friends:
As we begin a new calendar year, it is a good time to review and reflect on how we organize ourselves as a church family to carry out our calling to be the body of Christ gathered here at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Reflecting our Reformed Tradition’s emphasis on the life of the church to be “decent and in order” we organize our common life around a structure of committees that are charged with particular work to carry out or oversee. Carrying out ministry within a committee structure provides accountability and defines responsibility for our common ministry. The ultimate purpose of doing ministry in this way is to empower and enable individual members to fulfill their calling to serve Christ and the church.
Of course, the formal structure of our church life is just a starting point. It takes the hearts and hands of many disciples to implement and make tangible the goals and aspirations that define the various committees of the church. Moreover, there is a tremendous amount of ministry that takes place everyday by members of our church outside the specific tasks of our formal committees.
Periodically, churches reorganize and restructure themselves to better carry out their calling as circumstances change and evolve over time. Indeed, while the Gospel message is eternal and unchanging, the circumstances and cultural context in which it is received are constantly changing! Our current committee structure for congregational ministry reflects how we understood our mission approximately 15 plus years ago. However, we have grown in size and scope over those years. It is time for us to evaluate what we are doing right, and what we can do better, as we together seek to be faithful to the calling God has entrusted to us. Accordingly, our Session has created a new ad-hoc study group to examine how we are structured for ministry as a congregation. If you would like to be a part of this study group, please contact Annette Taylor and let her know. As our congregation continues to grow and change, and as the Travelers Rest community around us continues to grow, we need to change and evolve with our community. There is no timeline for when this group will finish, or if it will ultimately make any recommendations for change to the Session when it completes its work.
However, for 2018, below is an outline of how our church committee structure for ministry is presently configured. I hope you will take a look at the roster below and think about how you are called to follow Christ. Where are you best suited to serve? Each of us have been equipped to serve God, in the coming year I encourage you to take the time to reflect on where and how you are called to serve Christ and the church. God has prepared a task for each of us. Let us seek it!
Happy New Year,
Marc
Trinity Presbyterian Church
Session & Diaconate Committee Rosters
Session:
Discipleship
: Dennis Mitchell
Worship & Music
: Jeff Burton
Property & Grounds
: Lawrence Garabedian, Mark Bostian
Administration & Personnel
: Sherry Ogletree, Olin Blanton
Spiritual Development & Evangelism
: Justin Mullis
Benevolence & Mission
: Dennis Tavernetti, Thomas Barksdale
Finance
: Mary Pace
Long Range Planning
: Bob Lewis
Clerk:
Chuck Verdin
Moderator
: Marc Mason
Diaconate:
Visitation
: Jim Capobianco
Evangelism
: Chris Marsh, Linda Beazley
Fellowship
: John Short, Nancy Simonton, Ryan Huminski
Congregational Care
: Lark Waldrep, Nancy Simonton
Stewardship
: Dwight Hammack
Secretary
:
Chairman
: Eric Smith
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Parents, this fall semester as the youth director here at Trinity has been nothing short of wonderful. I have loved getting to know the youth, and I have loved watching them grow in Christ.
As we move on into the New Year, I just wanted to recap what YWE has been doing this semester. The middle schoolers studied the book of Romans together on Sunday nights. The high school studied 1&2 Corinthians together. Each group truly studied the Word and grew in their knowledge. Our Christmas party was a blast, and we all had fun just hanging out together in a big group, playing games, and decorating cookies. Wednesday nights were a huge success. It was so much fun to get to hang out and work with middle schoolers, and give them an opportunity to lead and minister to the children each week.
On top of that, I loved getting to know the children and teach them on Wednesday nights. A huge thank you to the parents that brought dinner for us on Sunday nights, volunteered to help with YWE activities, and so much more! Your support has meant so much to me. I think the memories we will all cherish the most are the countless dinner and lunch outings, coffee and ice cream runs, highs and lows of the week in Sunday mornings, and getting to know each other.
Most of all, I'm thankful that I was given this opportunity to minister to the youth and help them grow in faith. It has been the biggest blessing, and I cannot wait to see where life takes each of them. I hope everyone has a happy happy new year. Once again, thank you for giving me this opportunity. It has shaped my heart in many profound ways.
Hannah Smoak
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Welcome to Trinity's Newest Members
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On December 10th, 2017, Trinity Presbyterian Church welcomed several new members. It is a pleasure to have them join our church family. Please welcome the following folks when you see them!
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Brian and Kimberly McMahon
We welcome Brian and Kimberly!
They lived in beautiful Saratoga Springs, New York, until retirement. Just as several of our Trinity family members did, they decided to look for a home in a warmer climate. After checking out other locations in South Carolina they chose Greenville. Now, with their two cats and two dogs, they have settled in and are enjoying their hobbies -- golfing and cooking. Brian often hikes with the dogs and Kimberly spends time caring for her vegetable garden. She was one of the volunteers we can thank for helping with the greening of the church. Brian and Kimberly may be found on Sundays at one or the other of our two worship services.
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Ann Fulton
Ann Fulton's original home was in Canada. She attended Springfield College in Massachusetts and later received her Bachelor of Science degree at Bridgeport University in Connecticut. She and her late husband, Roger, are the parents of three adult children, Bob, Sue, and Peter. The family lived at several locations along the east coast of the USA. After thirty-five years in Hilton Head, and the loss of her beloved Roger, Ann decided it would be best to live near Sue and her family, which includes two grandsons and one grand-daughter. As part of an athletic family, she enjoys sports. "Spirit, Body and Mind" is her motto. Working with homeless and underprivileged people are also among her many interests. Our welcome mat is out for Ann Fulton!
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Becky Cobb
We welcome Miss Rebeca (Becky) Cobb! She is one of "a few good folks" who have come to Trinity because, sadly, their John Calvin Church in Berea closed. Becky grew up in Third Presbyterian. Then, along with her family, including cousin Mark Bostain, she transferred her membership to John Calvin when it was new. Now retired after a forty one year career in the offices of both the old Greenville General and the Greenville Memorial hospitals, she says her best memories are of the babies and the underprivileged people she served. These days Becky is enjoying our Tuesday Morning Women's Bible Study group and recently helped them make sixteen "ponchos" for a local nursing home's therapy department. Thanks go to Becky for joining our Trinity family!
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From the Director of Music Ministry...
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Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!
We look forward to having the children's choirs, handbells and chancel choir participate in leading worship at our traditional services the next few months and Holy Week.
Continue to join us at our 9am service for a missionally-minded worship experience.
If you would like to participate with any of our worship teams, please contact Eric Barnhart at
info@ericbarnhart.com
Eric Barnhart
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Trinity Youth Basketball Season 2017-2018
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Come and support Trinity’s youth during this season’s basketball games--
below is the schedule for Saturday, January 6th.
Schedules for the following weeks
will be posted in each week's Sunday bulletin.
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Small Groups For Everyone!
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Sunday Adults:
Fellowship Class:
Focus - Rotates study of the books of the Bible with Christian books and studies that enrich our lives. Format- Combination of lecture with interactive discussion, all in a relaxed environment. Leadership changes annually with a rotation of teachers from our class.
Christianity and Contemporary Issues:
Focus - Discussions relate the messages contained in Scripture passages to current headlines. Format - lecture and interactive. Facilitators – Mary Pace, Annette Taylor and class members.
Spirituality
(Starting in January): Focus- Spirituality as the experience of God in our daily lives. We will discuss the use of Spirituality in the history of our Christian faith and how we can incorporate it into our daily modern lives. Format - interactive/ casual and experiential. Group Facilitator – Jim Capobianco
Trinity Class:
First Sunday School Class created at Trinity and has been active ever since. Focus- Study of the Bible with the help of the Standard Lesson Commentary.
Format - lecture and interactive with class discussion strongly encouraged. Teachers - Beauford Williams, Fred Moehlenbrock and class members.
Sunday Youth:
Sunday Children:
6th-12th Grades—Terry Luzynski
CWE 4K-1st Grade—Robin Blakemore, Joanna Newcomer, Leslie Weikle
CWE 2nd-5th Grades—Allen Clark, Eric Smith
Tuesday Morning Women
Rachel Bible Study
meets weekly at 10:00 a.m. A lesson is presented by one of the participants taking turns each week. Facilitator - Nancy Simonton
*Resumes January 9th
Wednesday Night Live Small Groups
CWE 1
st
– 5
th
Grades
:
Led by Hannah Smoak and youth assistants.
Childcare is available through 5K.
Adult Bible Study
:
A seminar style format encouraging discussion. Meets in the Thorpe Building. Led by Rev. Mason.
Thursday Morning Men
Men’s Fellowship
meets Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for a biscuit and coffee breakfast, a devotional, followed by a program. Programs include guest speakers from the community as well as members of the group. Facilitator - John Burns
*Resumes January 11th
Monthly Groups
Miriam Ladies Group
meets one Sunday afternoon per month at different members’ homes.
Naomi Ladies Group
meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 3:00 p.m. at members' homes. They also study a selected series which is moderated by one of the class members.
Facilitator - Esther King
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Financial Peace University
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Financial Peace University is starting this month!
What if you knew where all of your money was going each month? What if you were debt-free, investing and making wise spending decisions? With Dave Ramsey’s class Financial Peace University, you CAN take control of your money and start planning for your future.
If you’re interested in learning more about the class, a preview will be held on January 10
th
during Wednesday Night Live in the Thorpe Building to answer questions and let you know what you need to do before the first class on January 17
th
. Class will then be each Wednesday night at 6:30pm until March 21st.
Please contact Allen Clark at (864)569-8353 with any questions.
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WNL Adult Study
"Who is This Man?"
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WNL Adult Study Series Starting Wednesday, January 10
th
Come join us in the Fellowship Classroom located in the Thorpe Building at 6:30pm. We are starting a new video discussion series called
“Who is This Man?”
The material for the videos comes from a book of the same title authored by bestselling author Rev. Dr. John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian in Menlo Park California. Dr. Ortberg is also the featured presenter in the videos. He is an engaging and talented speaker who never disappoints his audience. The format for this study will be a mixture of watching the videos, followed by a time of discussion. Reverend Mason will facilitate the discussion time.
Ortberg’s approach with this study is a bit like Albert Schweitzer’s work
“The Quest for the Historical Jesus”
first published in 1906, in that Ortberg explores how the life of Jesus has changed the course of history in ways that current day disciples often fail to appreciate, much less non-believers.
Jesus’ public ministry was brief, only 3 years at most, yet his influence on human life continues to grow greater as the years go by. As revealed in the Gospels, Jesus saw the world radically different from his culture, and his way of understanding human life continues to shape and influence us today. Even among non-believers, Jesus’ teachings have shaped, and continue to shape, human life. Are you aware of how?
Come join us on Wednesday evenings as we seek to understand, perhaps for the first time, perhaps in a renewed way, how deeply and profoundly, our contemporary view of the world and human life itself has been shaped by the Jesus we know through the Gospels!
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December Session Meeting Minutes
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Members Present
: Sherry Ogletree, Annette Taylor, Dennis Tavernetti, Jeff Burton, Mary Pace, Justin Mullis, Latain Bireley, Thomas Barksdale and Olin Blanton.
Members Absent and Excused
: Bob Lewis, Stan Coleman, Lawrence Garabedian
Members-Elect Present
: Dennis Mitchell, Mark Bostian, and Chuck Verdin
Janie Burton, the Church Treasurer, was in attendance.
Opening Prayer:
Marc Mason opened the meeting with prayer.
Declaration of Quorum
: A quorum was present.
Pastor’s Report and Housekeeping Details
:
Marc Mason gave an update on members who are sick, in the hospital, and recovering.
The Lord’s Supper was not celebrated December 3
rd
. It will be celebrated December 24
th
.
Wayne Cannon’s funeral service was held at the church on December 6, 2017. Information has been received that Ellen Barber, a non-resident member, has died. There has been no contact from the family.
December Special Events:
December 17
th
Hot Dog Supper & Caroling
One Worship at 10:00am on December 24
On December 24, there will be a 5:30pm and a 7:30pm service
Monthly Budget Report
: Mary Pace reported that November was a good month with a surplus in the Building Fund due to a bequest from Roberta Bubb, and a surplus in the Operating Account. Jeff Burton made the motion to approve the reports and Olin Blanton gave the second. The motion passed.
Diaconate Report
: A written report was received from the Diaconate and they are actively serving the church.
Membership Update
: As of December 14, 2017, the church has 479 members, of which 465 are resident and 14 are non-resident.
Clerk Report
: Approval was asked for the minutes of the Stated Session meeting November 17, 2017, and for the minutes of the Called Meeting on December 10, 2017. Annette Taylor made the motion to accept the minutes and Sherry Ogletree gave the second. The motion passed.
Communications
: None
Old Business
: Ad Hoc Financial Review Committee – Sherry Ogletree stated that the Step-Up program has worked well in 2017. They anticipate that there will probably be three Step-Up drives in 2018.
New Business
: Marc Mason appointed Jeff Burton to be Moderator pro-tem while he stepped out during the discussion of the Pastor’s Call. Sherry Ogletree stated that they are not recommending any staff pay raises for 2018. Line item 630 (Books and Continuing Education) will be reduced from $4,000 to $3,000. This was a motion from the committee and it passed. Marc Mason returned as moderator.
Proposed Operating Budget
: Mary Pace said the committee chair people did a good job in trimming the budget. The proposed budget for 2018 has been reduced by approximately 3%. Jeff Burton made the motion to accept the presented Operating and Building Fund 2018 budgets and Olin Blanton gave the second. The motion passed.
Standing Committee Reports
Benevolence & Mission
: Dennis Tavernetti said that in 2018 any outside benevolence over $2,000 will have a person from the committee in charge.
Discipleship
: Dennis Mitchell will be the chairperson for this committee in 2018.
Finance & Stewardship
: No additional report beyond the 2018 budget presentations.
Long-Range Planning
: No report.
Personnel & Administration
: Olin Blanton made a motion from the committee to reclassify Leah Wyman from contract to salary at no additional cost to the church. The motion passed.
Property & Grounds
: Stan Coleman sent a written report stating that the LED lights have thus far saved 30% plus in comparison with previous years on the power bill. The backflow valves has been tested as well as the fire extinguishers.
Spiritual Development & Evangelism
: Justin Mullis stated that on Palm Sunday weekend the 2018 Spiritual Retreat will take place. Our guest speaker will be the Reverend Dr. Singleton. He will speak on Saturday, March 24
th
, and will preach on Sunday March 25
th
.
Worship
: Jeff Burton made the motion that next year communion will be served on the first Sunday of each month except for December. The motion passed. Jeff Burton will be the chairman for the committee in 2018.
Marc Mason thanked the four elders (Annette Taylor, Sherry Ogletree, Stan Coleman and Latain Bireley) that are rotating off the Session, as well as, Fred Moehlenbrock as the clerk. Chuck Verdin will be the new clerk.
Motion to Adjourn with Prayer
: Thomas Barksdale made the motion to adjourn with prayer. Olin Blanton gave the second and the motion passed. Marc Mason closed the meeting with prayer at 9:03pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Fred Moehlenbrock, Clerk Marc Mason, Moderator
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Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the beatuiful Christmas planter. It was very thoughtful. I enjoy working with our children and parents each year to share the beloved Christmas story.
Sincerely,
Nancy and Dave Thompson
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North Greenville Crisis Ministry
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Thank you for your continued support for this ministry.
Their current needs include:
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Gently used blankets and coats
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Canned soup and vegetables
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Soap and toothpaste
Please place donations in the shopping cart in McKinney Hall.
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Sermon Audio Files Now Available
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To access Sermon Audio on the website:
2) On the menu in the upper right hand corner between the options CALENDAR and CONTACT US you will see an option entitled MEDIA.
3) Roll your mouse over MEDIA and a menu should appear.
4) Click SERMON AUDIO.
5) It will take you to the iTunes website where you are now on the preview page for the Trinity Podcast.
6) Click the blue button that reads VIEW IN iTUNES under the green Trinity logo on the left side.
7) You will receive a prompt to open iTunes. Or if you don’t have it, you will be prompted to download iTunes.
8) For Windows/PC Users: if you already have iTunes on your computer and receive a prompt to download it again, click the gray button to the left of the blue download button indicating that you already have iTunes on your computer and you wish to sign in.
iTunes will then open to the Trinity Podcast Page.
To receive a copy of each new sermon to your iTunes every week:
When you reach the podcast page in iTunes, click SUBSCRIBE under the green Trinity logo on the left side.
To receive a copy of a particular sermon to your iTunes:
When you reach the podcast page in iTunes, scroll down the list of sermons and click “GET”
on the right hand side of the sermon you’d like to have a copy of.
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1 Carolyn Lewis
2 Lynn Coleman
Carter Summers
3 Esther Addis
4 Randall Coleman
6 Karolyn Edwards
Carter Snow
7 Shirley Riddle
9 John Burns
Emma Kate Tiwari
Julie McHaffie
10 Fred Moehlenbrock
13 Chuck Verdin
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14 Jim Showalter
19 Johnny Edwards
21 Elaine Cunningham
23 Landyn Klug
25 Laurel Stephens
26 Grace Short
27 Pam Speedling
28 Kim Cole
29 Thomas Coleman
Adam Kozic
31 Jerry Campbell
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Newsletter Deadline: The deadline for newsletter information is the 25th of each month. Please send all information to the church office (834-9897). If you are able, please E-mail info to Trinity@trinitytr.org
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Church Office Hours
9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. Monday through Friday
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