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October is Stewardship Month at Trinity, and once again this month we turn our collective congregational attention to the annual Pledge Drive. Our theme this year revolves around the twin focal points of
caring and
welcoming
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Trinity is a congregation that cares. We show that caring nature in the way we take care of people, and the way we take care of property. We are careful to be good stewards of the many resources committed to our parish life, and we reach out in tender care and compassion for those in various kinds of need. We share together to serve people's need for food, their need for shelter, their need for love, their need for prayer - even their need to be joyful. While we often think of needs as negative things, it is true that we human beings have many positive needs, too. We need to have a place and a community where we can find joy, where we can be helpful to one another, where we can laugh and rejoice in the good gifts of life. Taking good care of our resources is precisely what enables us to take good care of each other, both friend and neighbor and stranger.
And that in turn is the root of our welcoming. We open our doors and invite people in because we care. We go out from our doors and into the neighborhood because we care. All are welcome here - and we offer ourselves to be welcomed in the world - because this is what opens the door to sharing in the compassion of Christ.
So caring and welcoming are the two foci of the ellipse, the two centers of gravity, as it were, around which our parish life revolves. And we can do that because, ultimately, it is God who welcomes us and cares for us. It is God who opens the way for us and God who inspires compassion in us. God is always the center around which we revolve.
And that leads me to a further reflection on caring - one that tickles my taste for irony and multiple layers of meaning. Because there is a sense in which knowing that God cares for us can make us carefree. There is a hymn for Lent in our Hymnal that begins with the line "Now quit your care and anxious fear and worry" - and it is set to the happiest tune I've ever heard for a Lenten hymn! (It's Hymn 145 - go look it up and read it through!) It is one of those delicious paradoxes of the spiritual life that joining with God to care (in the sense of compassion) can release us from the burden of care (in the sense of anxiety). Joining with God's generosity to be generous ourselves actively transforms our connection to the things of our lives, so that we can see them (and ourselves) in the broader context of instruments of God's mission. And that can liberate us from worrying about those things (and ourselves), and encourage us instead to be free and graceful in how we use them to do God's work of justice and peace and love. Mysteriously and wonderfully, caring frees us from care.
And in that sense, the fact that Trinity is a caring congregation extends to us the welcome to be freed from care and to be generous in our spiritual work. As we go through the steps of this year's Pledge Drive, as we engage October as Stewardship Month, I invite you to consider how you can be part of the caring and welcoming work of God through Trinity. How can your pledge of financial support empower the mission we share? And how can a spirit of generosity free you to care?
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| Stewardship: A Multifaceted Concept (Not just the coin of the Realm) |
With events swirling around all of us at a dizzying pace, our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is our only constant, our bulwark, our spiritual foundation. Trinity is the 'rock' that anchors us to our larger community, Staunton. Trinity's importance to that larger community was ever more apparent with the untimely passing of Ted Jordan, a life member of Trinity's family who did so much through his generous gifts of time and talent: both as a builder of churches and schools in Honduras to his cheerful participation in local causes too numerous to mention. His example is one we can all hope to emulate in some small way whether helping in the Noon Lunch Program, Blue Ridge Food Bank or other of the myriad ways Trinity offers to get involved in God's work.
A welcoming congregation, we are called to open our doors and hearts to one and all, to offer the gift of Hospitality. Trinity has grown considerably in this vein, as we've opened the doors and opened hearts to visitors, those of the Christian faith and other faiths, strangers and those of no particular faith; our open hearts have continued to welcome one and all who come to seek, worship, pray, learn, and connect.
In giving, we are not only sustaining the "real estate" - that historical gem that is a National Heritage Site - but the programs that grow out of this dynamic congregation and do so very much to make this Community what it is: a landmark, a beacon, fulfilling needs of every kind, to follow Christ's lessons to "feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick." In living out our mission, sustenance is required. Pray. Think. Plan. The gifts you give, whether large or small, make a difference - be as generous as you can, knowing you are truly blessing those who receive from you and will likewise be blessed as you - as we - build the Kingdom of God here in our midst!
As Saint Teresa often said
, "We are the only hands the Lord has, the only feet, the only voice..."
And as John Wesley so eloquently stated,
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."
Our Christian faith can be no less. Let us live it!
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Pledge Drive Kick-Off Sundays
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Trinity's pledge drive will again kick-off using a dual Sunday format similar to the one of last year. October 9th and 23rd have been designated pledge-drive Sundays and the services will be adjusted to accommodate the additional activity. We hope that all parishioners will participate and believe this format is more efficient and amenable than additional common meetings in the McCracken Hall or private homes. Pledge packets will be distributed by members of the vestry before the service, and all are asked to consider prayerfully their pledge before returning their pledge card at their convenience, no later than November 1.
The dual themes chosen for this year's drive are Caring and Welcoming. We believe these are two attributes well suited to the mission and operations of Trinity Church and that Trinity in turn, through the kindness of its constituents, continues to strive and excel at both. We will explore these themes together and hope that everyone participating will gain a new understanding and appreciation for the efforts of the church within its own community and the broader community of our city and beyond.
We look forward to being with you all on both Sundays!
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A Call for Vestry Nominations
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Please note that current vestry members are not eligible for nomination. They include:
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Term expires 12/31/2016
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Term expires 12/31/2017
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Term expires 12/31/2018
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Bob Boyle
Ted Cathey
Susanna Larner
Sandra McNeill
Oakley Pearson
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Lee Beam
Mary Sue Kivlighan
Lynn Manka
Lundy Pentz
Susan Read
Matt Shreckhise
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Erik Boody
Molly Brown
Ernest Holley
Jim Manchester
Pat Williams
David Wallace
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The Vestry of Trinity Church is seeking nominations for the new Vestry class of 2019. The Vestry is the main elected leadership body of the parish. There are nineteen seats on the Vestry, with six elected each calendar year.
This year the Vestry is adding a new seat, which will be appointed at random for a term of a single year. This is intended to give parishioners the experience of sitting on the Vestry and adding new voices to the leadership mix, without the usual pressures of election or a three-year term. More details on this new Vestry seat will be presented at the Annual Meeting.
Nomination forms are available at the back of the church and online. Your nomination may be placed in the offering plate, mailed to the parish office, called in to the office (886-9132), or you may use the online Vestry Nomination form on our website which can be found at www.trinitystaunton.org on the drop down menu under "Members". Please send in your nominations no later than November 1. Up to six names may be submitted. Your name is NOT required to fill out the online form.
Please be sure to ask your nominees if they are willing to run before sending in their names.
Those who may nominate candidates (and vote) are (according to Canon 14, sec. 2): "All adult (16 and over) baptized members belonging to the parish, who for three months preceding have been regular worshipers in the parish and regular contributors to its financial support by pledge, subscription, or some other method by which they shall be known to the treasurer of the parish."
The Vestry Nominating Committee, consisting of the retiring vestry members, will prepare a slate of up to 12 persons qualified to serve on the Vestry based on nominations from Trinity's members and selections from the committee. The election will be held at Trinity's Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 20.
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Notes from the Senior Warden
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I'm moving. After 22 years in the same house, I'm relocating to a one-story house that is both much younger than my current house and much smaller. This leads to the issue of downsizing, also known as purging and donating. I've been systematically working on this process since late June when I first saw the house and realized that I might be making a move. I started first in the basement (wow, you can store a lot of stuff in a 1000 sq. ft. basement) and have moved upstairs as time has progressed.
I don't know about you, but I just have too much stuff. At this point there's no reason to reflect on the unnecessary cost of purchasing and owning all these things that have been packed away for months (ok, some things for years.) But it's caused me to think about why I ever accumulated so many things.
In the United States, we are definitely consumers. We love to purchase. We see things that we like, or that interest us, and before you know it, we buy it. Unfortunately, sometimes we then take those items home and put them away to be read or used at another time. And 22 years later, there they are, in my basement.
When I first moved into this house, my one rule was "if I get a new piece of furniture, something has to leave." I think I began to break the rule in year 5. My mother liked to add to collections for me: she inherited my grandmother Beam's china, and decided to split it between my sister and me. And then she kept buying more. When I packed up my china closet, I counted 24 place settings. I've never entertained 24 people at a sit-down dinner in my house in my LIFE!
I have to admit that I've become quite energized by the packing and purging. Some things have been trashed, but much has been donated to worthy organizations that operate thrift stores, and other things have been sold. My mantra for my new house is to only take things to it that I will USE and ENJOY. I'll still probably take too much, but it will be a lot less than I have now.
But what's the lesson in this for me? What I've learned so far is that all those things that I've now given up weren't the things that gave me pleasure. They aren't the things that give my life value, and a purpose. Those things aren't really "things" at all, but people and relationships, nature and surroundings, service and worship. When I complete this process and move into my new home, my goal is to remember those important "things!" And to spend more time enjoying them, rather than the "things" that could end up on a shelf in my new oversize garage!
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Dennis G. Case Memorial Concert: Nov. 6 at 5pm
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| Gen Bolena, Organist & Choirmaster |
The Trinity Choir will commemorate the Feast of All Saints with a performance of Gabriel Fauré's beloved masterpiece
Requiem
, with orchestra. Anthems by Arvo Pärt, William Byrd, and John West will round out the program. This concert is given in loving memory of Dennis G. Case (1934-2013), a long-time member of Trinity Church, who made a generous contribution to complete the Taylor and Boody pipe organ in 2014, and left a bequest to support the music program for future generations.
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| Laurie Clements, Parish Administrator |
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Sign up for scheduled giving, OR manage your own scheduled giving.
- Thank you to those that have already began to contribute to Trinity online. This transition has gone well, and I appreciate those that have taken these steps. Just to remind you... to make your giving so much easier, you can go to your individual Realm account and set up your own online, automatic scheduled giving if you choose. You can set up your own contributions to be deducted from your bank account weekly, monthly, or however you choose. This is then processed automatically. You don't have to worry about it. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are all learning together!
Gifts
- A contribution for Noon Lunch was given by Beate Harnad in honor of Sue Armstrong's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Sue!
- Trinity continues to receive many memorial contributions for Ted Jordan. Included in these gifts are a few designated to Honduras, the Music Fund and Noon Lunch.
- A special thank you to those that have volunteered throughout the summer to help with small cleaning or facility tasks. This summer has been especially busy here, and often special people do things so quietly behind the scenes that you would not notice. So a big thank you to those of you who are so willing to lend a hand!
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Novel Theology meets throughout the year on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the Foster Room. Everyone and anyone is invited to attend. The only rule is you must read the book for that month. Come and bring your friends and acquaintances. We have lively discussions.
Oct 25-Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.
Dellarobia Turnbow is a 28-year-old discontented housewife living in a small town in rural Tennessee. On a hike, on which she is planning to meet a telephone repairman to begin an affair with him, the heroine finds that the valley behind their house is covered in millions of Monarch butterflies. As the news of her discovery spreads, she receives a visit from Ovid Byron, a university professor who studies the monarchs, and warns that although they are beautiful, they are a disturbing symptom of global climate change, displaced from their typical wintering location in Mexico, and that they may not survive the harsh Tennessee winter. Led by Patricia Devitt.
Nov 15-The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
An American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. Set during the Great Depression, the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural industry changes and bank foreclosures forcing tenant farmers out of work. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they are trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other "Okies," they seek jobs, land, dignity, and a future. Led by Oakley Pearson.
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| Don't Miss the 4th Annual Harvest Breakfast and Fair Trade Gift Market |
 The 4th Annual Harvest Breakfast and Fair Trade Market will take place on NOVEMBER 12 from 8 - Noon in Trinity's McCracken Hall.
Come and enjoy: A fabulous pancake breakfast; Pre-holiday shopping with fair trade merchandise from Ten Thousand Villages, which supports artisans and collective producers from all over the world; Home-made biscotti, Tom's Terrific Toffee, Equal Exchange chocolates, freshly-baked scones, and San Rafael shade-grown coffee direct from the grower; and ECW gift items. Breakfast is served from 8 until 10:30. Scones with jam and cream and coffee or tea served 10:30 until noon. Contact Margaret Pearson if you have questions and/or would like to join the volunteer crew. Her email is mephome@gmail.com.
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If your child's thoughts, feelings or behaviors were causing them to struggle, would you know how to talk to them about it? What if you discovered they were engaging in activities that were potentially destructive or even harmful? If they came to you looking for help, would you know what to do?
Recent studies have found as many as one-third to one-half of adolescents in the U.S. have engaged in some type of non-suicidal self-injury. Self-injury often begins around the ages of 12 to 14, and it is most commonly the result of feelings of sadness, distress, anxiety, or confusion. Many often use self-injury as a way to cope with these negative emotions.
Some may find themselves with a constant preoccupation with a perceived defect or flaw in his/her physical appearance, which may not be observable to others, or appears only slight. Some may focus on the numbers on the scale, and develop unhealthy eating habits that can put both mind and body at risk. Others may engage in body-focused repetitive behaviors like hair pulling or skin picking, which are related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and cause shame and isolation.
If you think your son or daughter is dealing with low self-esteem or poor body image, is feeling depressed or is engaging in risky behaviors like disordered eating, self-injury or body-focused repetitive behaviors, there is hope and there is help.
Mental Health America (MHA) has developed tools and resources to inform both students and parents about why mental health matters, and how self-esteem, self-image and the disorders that affects the way young people see and treat themselves can affect a student's overall health. Visit
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/back-school
to learn more.
There are also things as parents you should try to avoid. Parents and caregivers often feel comfortable questioning or criticizing a young person's choices - and generally do so with the best of intentions. Sometimes though, the way the words come out ends up doing more harm than good. When it comes to self-esteem and body image, it is important to remember that words matter. Try not to criticize or point out flaws, but rather encourage your child to talk to you about his or her feelings about their body or self-image.
Know that issues of low self-esteem, self-injury, body-focused repetitive behaviors, and distorted body image are treatable and should be addressed as soon as possible - before Stage 4. Just like physical illnesses, treating mental health problems early can help to prevent more serious problems from developing in the future. If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health problem, it is important to take action and to address the symptoms early. Start the conversation. Your child will be glad you did.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Mental Health America of Augusta for a referral to a mental health professional (540-886-7181). In life threatening emergencies, go to your local emergency room or call 911. From Mental Health America's Back to School toolkit which is on
www.mha-augusta.org
or
www.mentalhealthamerica.net
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Honduras Benefit, Mystery Dinner at Trinity
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Trinity Episcopal Church
invites you to an evening of
Chinese Chicanery and Chicken Soong
Featuring
Virginia mystery author Brad Parks
Sat., October 8
5 - 8 p.m.
214 W. Beverley St.,
McCracken Hall, Staunton
Clues, puzzles, observation and keen wits will guide your table's crime investigation. BYOB!
Dinner prepared by Margaret Pearson
and Trinity volunteers.
Tickets are $25 per person.
Payment deadline: Oct. 3. For reservations (tables seat 6) contact Carrie Tucker at
ctucker59@gmail.com or 540.230.0787.
Please mail (P.O. Box 208, Staunton 24402) or drop off checks written to Trinity Episcopal Church with a memo of "Mystery Dinner."
Proceeds benefit Trinity's secondary school project in San Rafael, Copan, Honduras.
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