Seasonal Newsletter - September 2011

The Vicars Message The Rev. Johnnette Shane Trinity and Kirksville are alive with new things. There are new students and returning students all over town, and students look forward to new teachers. Professors have new students, and we have a new time for Sunday School. A new school year begins for all of our schools, but, in the Church, we are a lot closer to the end of the church year than the beginning. It does seem to be the beginning of fall in Kirksville, though not yet by our calendar. Walks, runs, fishing and just sitting outside are a pleasure. Yesterday, we had a workday at the church, and the weather was glorious. The flurry of activity and the people who worked on the church reminded me of St. Pauls discussion of gifts. Everyone had his or her particular job and gift. Pete and I worked together on cleaning out the gutters. I wasnt really tall enough or particularly strong enough to position the ladder well, but Ive been up and down the ladder a lot in my life. Pete wasnt thrilled about going up and down the ladder; so, we made a good team. The people with green thumbs worked on the flowers and weeds, and the people without carted things around. People with more strength hefted and towed; people with less sorted things. It was a wonderful reminder how we are all needed in this work for the Reign of God. Speaking of needs, we are needing people to perform many tasks at Trinity. We need folks to cook dinners for Canterbury Club and a coordinator for nursery volunteers. We need people to witness to the gifts given them by our church community, and we do need nursery volunteers and Sunday School teachers. We will need people to attend recovery services at Trinity, and we still need people to share their gifts with people who are in need of our assistance at Trinity. If you feel called to these or any other leadership roles at Trinity, contact me or Jessie. If that list seems daunting, its because we are doing a lot at Trinity these days. Finally, have I reminded you lately what a blessing and a challenge it is to be your vicar? Thank you all! With love, Johnnette+ Episcopal Clothing Opportunity Roger Rosenberg Nancy Terrell and Roger Rosenberg are happy to announce they are working with the Cathedral Bookstore to develop a line of clothing with the logo of the Episcopal Church embroidered. The line will consist of polo shirts and casual denim shirts at first, and they are looking at outerwear for fall. They can also provide these items to Trinity parishioners; with Trinity Kirksville wording added if desired. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Diocese or Trinity in the case of items purchased in the Kirksville area. Catch either one at Church or contact them at Lone Pine Embroidery & Design, 660-627-0753 if interested.

Food for Thought Kerrin Smith This summer, Trinity once again participated in Food4-Kids, a summer program established to provide free lunches in the citys parks to needy children of our community, most of whom receive free or reducedfee lunches while school is in session. A number of changes were implemented to the program this year, the most notable being that the children can no longer collect their lunches and leave; they must eat in the park. Simple games and activities were provided to help encourage everyone to stay.

family. Several of us who worked at Jaycee were struck by the realization that the program participants appeared to be not only in need of food, but also of community. We were impressed by the families that came as a unit, as well as by the very young who came alone; by the kindness siblings afforded one another, as well as by the profanity others spoke without a second thought; by how some of the children approached the same Play-Doh and tiny paint pots day after day with renewed enthusiasm, eager to simply sit and work with their hands while talking to an attentive adult; and by the weight many of the children and adults bear trying to manage the financial, physical, and emotional demands of their lives. We came to know many of those who attended our park by name and began developing bonds with them. We finished our week in the park feeling good about what we had accomplished by volunteering for Food-4-Kids, but also knowing we had barely begun to meet the needs of those we served.

Trinity is surrounded by a community of hungry childrenchildren hungry for the time and attention of caring adults. Many of the children who qualify for the free or reduced-fee school lunch program not only spend their summers with less to eat, but with considerably less to do. Their parents may work or be otherwise physically or emotionally unavailable to provide simple pleasures or structure to their days. The summer is likely long and monotonous for these children. They walk the streets or hang out in the parks I, like others, had worried that the new requirement unsupervised. And a child with nothing to do is far would discourage people from participating in the more likely to get into trouble than a child occupied in program; however, the opposite seemed to be true. Those who came appeared to enjoy the time they spent creative pursuits. eating, talking, and playing with their neighbors and In thinking about all of this, several of us have found ourselves considering how Trinity might expand upon the Food-4-Kids and Art in the Park programs to proInterested in Contributing to the vide several additional hours of activities in a park two or three times a week throughout the summer months. Trinity Newsletter? In imagining such a ministry, weve wondered how many of the children we met have access to the public Send your articles, reflections, news, or ministry librarys summer reading program, and how wonderupdates to: ful it might be to bring books to the park to share with the children who are unable to get to the library on a Kevin Minch regular basis. I love the idea of spending an hour or so kevin.minch@gmail.com several times a week pouring over picture books with the youngest children and reading a current award1 Grim Drive winning novel with the older ones. I can also imagine Kirksville, MO 63501 the fun we could have spending another hour doing simple crafts and playing games: drawing,

painting, making paper mch sculptures, stringing beads, weaving, playing board games, working on team-building activities, singing the possibilities are limitless. Little would be requiredaside from our time and commitmentand the rewards would be immeasurable. Few, if any, of us are in a position to commit to volunteering full time, but there are so many of us with talents to share, we could easily create a summer schedule filled with fun activities by each volunteering just once or twice a month. Id like to invite you to take some time to consider how you might participate in such a ministry. We, an inclusive community of people who love God, have an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of the most vulnerable amongst us by simply sharing ourselvesour welcoming smiles and our listening hearts. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:12-14 ESV) The Lectionary Page Has Moved Your Communication Committee If you regularly reference the Episcopal Lectionary page, be advised that the website has recently been relocated. The lectionary page may now be accessed at http://www.lectionarypage.net/ New Locks and Keys Your Junior Wardens The locks on church doors have been changed. If you are in need of a key, see Wynne Wilbur for a replacement. Old keys should be disposed of. Thank You! Mike Ashcraft Id like to say thank you to all of you who participated in Food 4 Kids. Ive worked with Food 4 Kids for several years, and have hoped that more Trinity parishioners would get involved with this ministry. Twenty of

us from Trinity, including our vicar, worked in the kitchen or served lunches to children in city parks. Thats great. I am optimistic about the changes in the program. This year children had to remain at the serving locations to eat their lunches. In the past we simply bagged up lunches and children took them home. This new way of doing it gives volunteers the opportunity to get to know the children much better than the old way. I hope our parish can staff a week of Food 4 Kids next summer too. God bless all who had a part in Food 4 Kids this year. Education for Ministry Courses Maria Evans Have you ever wondered what some aspects of a seminary education is like? Have you ever wished you knew more about the Bible or the history of the church and of Anglicanism? Have you ever wondered what your gifts and talents might be as a lay person? The Episcopal Churchs four year course, Education for Ministry (EfM) can help provide some of these things for you. Recent technological advances have made this educational opportunity more accessible than ever before. EfM is a four year course that more or less replicates the kinds of courses one would take in the first year of a seminary education, except there are no grades issued. EfM Year One is the study of the Old Testament, Year Two covers the New Testament, Year Three covers general church history, and Year Four covers the history of Christian denominations in America with emphasis on the Episcopal Church. Continued on page 6.

Creole descent. The people look like Haitians, as is fitting. Only three badly damaged murals survived the earthquake. This Cathedral was a spiritual center for the whole Haitian people, not just Episcopalians. The past tense in that last sentence is not quite correct, for as Bishop Jean Zach Duracin makes clear, the life of the Cathedral and its people continues. But now it is a Cathedral without walls. The Episcopal Church as a whole has undertaken a grass-roots effort to rebuild Holy Trinity Cathedral and all its walls, from the ground up, brick-by-brick. The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Missouri are coordinating the ef- forts here, with bricks at ten dollars each, so everyone can participate. I support this effort, and I am participating, for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Haiti. A Message from Bishop Wayne Smith A little known fact about the Episcopal Church is that the diocese with the largest membership is Haiti, with about 84,000 total baptized in the records. The best guess is that the actual number of baptized is closer to 150,000. Compare this to 14,000 in the Diocese of Missouri! Haiti is also the most impoverished nation in the Americas, and the 2010 earthquake merely accentuated this datum. A glance at the table of statistics tells the story. Undernourished people: 49 percent. Life expectancy at birth: 49 years. Annual per capita income: 660 dollars. Adult literacy: 48 percent. In this picture the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, though a tiny minority within a total population of 9 million, provides a clear witness to faith in Jesusand the Diocese provides vital and singular social services, especially in health care and education. Notably in this season of earthquake recovery, the Diocese has provided food and shelter on twenty-three of its properties, including on the Cathedral grounds in Port-au-Prince (Cathdrale Sainte Trinit). The earthquake left the Cathedral unusable and destroyed many other buildings in the Cathedral compound. A poignant loss, and the pride of the entire nation, was the set of fourteen iconic murals of Bible stories inside the Cathedral church. A team of artists completed the murals in the 1950s, depicting all the characters as people of African Cathdrale Sainte Trinit and its people play a crucial role in sustaining the material life of Haiti, through its ministries of education and health care. More than that, the Cathedral represents the nations soul. [Note: A special collection to support this effort will be taken the first Sunday of October.] Thoughts From the Treasurer Krista Baker Perhaps as you go about paying bills you occasionally stop to think about the need to continue spending money on something that has become a routine bill. You consider how important the item is and decide to either stop the expense or use the item to its full advantage. When I pay bills for the church I do the same thing. One expense, small as it is, to be considered is the purchase of the small daily meditation booklets, Forward Day by Day. Each quarter the church receives 15 booklets which are placed on the table at the back of the church. Each quarter when I pick up the new supply at the post office and place them on the table, I notice the little stack of booklets from the previous quarter. Generally more than half are still there. That means 5-6 booklets are in the hands of someone who has come into our church. Is the expense worth it to distribute 5-6 booklets? I have read the Forward Day by Day for many years.

At times I find it healing, challenging, and sometimes a little confusing. But there is one thing I always find reassuring and beneficial: the prayers on the inside front and back cover, the Morning Resolve and For Today. I would like to share the Morning Resolve with you. A Morning Resolve I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God. In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating and sleeping which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right. And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I cant think of a better way to start the day. Please consider taking a copy of the Forward Day by Day the next time you are at church. It would be good to need to order more of these little booklets! Accessibility and Responsibility Jessie Cragg Imagine a church that is totally inaccessible, securely locked up, members not welcome except at certain restricted times. No keys are available and no one will let you in even if you ask. Where a musician cant practice and an Altar Guild member cant bring flowers. Now imagine a church that stands wide open at all times, admitting thieves and neighborhood animals, where all the lights burn constantly, water is left running, and energy bills are sky high. Where no one seems to care.

Neither of these scenarios describes Trinity Church. Our members do care, as shown after Kirksvilles recent storm when so many showed up to check on the church and vicarage. We enjoy our beautiful buildings weekly for worship, music, fellowship, and learning. Our vicar carries out her daily life and work in one of them. Many of us have keys, giving us access to go about our various ministries in the church building. Trinity is accessible in that sense. We have been talking a lot about accessibility, and we hope to soon carry accessibility to a higher level. But for right now, our current level of accessibility carries a current level of responsibility for our resources. Our beautiful buildings are a tangible resource. We, the keepers of the keys, are responsible for protecting them and taking care of them in ways that are financially affordable to us. In the next few weeks the locks on both the church and the vicarage will be replaced, and new keys will be handed out to those of us who have requested them. Our names will be recorded in a notebook, and we will be given a checklist. Copies of the checklist will be posted in the sacristy and in the undercroft. The checklist will detail our responsibilities as keepers of the keys. It will contain instructions that remind us to turn out lights, adjust the thermostat, and lock all doors when leaving. We are asked to be mindful of these details and to practice them right now. We are also asked to remember that even if one of us is not the last person in the building, touching base with others prior to leaving will make sure the building is safe until its next use. Imagine a church that is lovingly cared for and responsibly maintained. Where the heating, cooling, and lighting bills are reasonable. Where thieves would have a pretty hard time getting in. Where animals can visit, when invited. Where, on a Saturday, a coffee hour volunteer can bring goodies, or another volunteer can pick up food bank donations to deliver, or the children can take a turn at baking communion bread. Where members of all ages care about their church and everyone is welcome. Sounds like Trinity Church.

The Financial Report Krista Baker Parish Financial Summary as of 7/31/2011 Year to date Income Pledges Plate Other Total Income Expenses Building Clergy Miscellaneous Music Outreach Worship Total Expenses Account Balances Checking Parish Savings Building Fund Savings Investments - CD Investments - CD Total Worth $16,900.00 $63,115.00 $1,500.00 $8,900.00 $14,910.00 $4,375.00 $109,700.00 $11,208.64 $40,561.50 $934.27 $5,240.00 $9,263.79 $2,072.71 $69,280.91 As of 7/31/2011 $29,064.39 $21,378.52 $48,657.81 $25,000.00 $9,820.62 $133,921.34 $85,223.00 $6,777.00 $17,700.00 $109,700.00 $53,477.50 $7,746.00 $9,008.44 $70,231.94 Annual budget 07/31/11

Education for Ministry continued from page 3 In years past, we have had a few people from Trinity do the face to face EfM course, but the nearest course was held in Columbia. I first became intrigued about EfM through Diane Johnson and Debby Baughman. But I knew that, because of my call schedule, attending a face to face EfM course was an impossibility for me. But I discovered my Facebook friend Ann Fontaine, a vocational interim priest who splits her time in Wyoming and Oregon, is a mentor in an online EfM course offered through The University of the South (Sewanee.) The online course uses Blackboard to do the academic portion of the course through discussion boards, and meets in a Blackboard chat room once a week to participate live time as a group in the weekly Theological Reflection. I have found the online course to be incredibly spiritually rewarding as well as academically challenging. Had I attended a face to face EfM class, my classmates would have been other people from mid/north Missouri. I am presently in Year Three of the online course, and in years past, my classmates have been from all over the country, including a recent graduate of the class who worked for the US Foreign Service and lived in Bahrain. The diversity of my classmates in the online course has been a real plus. We now have two Trinitarians in online EfM--Julie Seidler just started Year One.

But without a doubt, my favorite part has been the Theological Reflection part of the class. We take seemingly unrelated things--a photo, a YouTube video, a poem, etc.Debt/Libabilities $0.00 -and tie them to the lessons weve been learning in our year of the course, as well as to our lives. We are required Calendar to write a Spiritual Autobiography each year and reflect September 18 10 AM Liturgy at the Lake on our faith journey to date. The Theological ReflecSeptember 25 10 AM The Bishop Visits Sunday Eucharist tions have revealed things to me in my spirituality that I October 2 2 PM Blessing of the Animals did not realize. They have helped me understand better 4 PM Recovery Eucharist not just my gifts, but my growing edges in my spiritual October 5 7 PM Book Group life--the things that make me uncomfortable and show Millenium Development Goals me how to live in the tension of it all. I have been grateOctober 9 7 PM Taiz Service ful to the other people in the group for expanding my October 12 7 PM Book Group understanding of how God works in each of our lives and Millenium Development Goals in our common life in the church. In short, I cant say November 1 All Saints Day enough good things about my online EfM course! November 6 Daylight Savings Time Ends All Saints Sunday If you think this would be of interest to you, feel free to 4 PM Recovery Eucharist talk to Julie or me during coffee hour. Wed be glad to November 13 7 PM Taiz Service share our experiences!