Service and Outreach
Programs and Committees

Parishioner Robert Orr reports on his volunteer work in Waveland, Mississippi, in planning for reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina. Click here for a most interesting account.

The following are mostly based on reports to the Annual Parish Meeting in January 2008.

Acolytes

Acolyte Shepherds: Richard Walser, Bruce Bellmore, and Carmy Cook

After four years, Erin Gustafson and David Phelps retired as Acolyte Shepherds. This is a ministry that often goes unnoticed; but is crucial to the life of Trinity. Three people have willingly taken on this important role of Acolyte Shepherds: Richard Walser, Bruce Bellmore, and Carmy Cook. Thank you to all past and present Acolyte Shepherds. We still need more help for the 9:00 service. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the Rev. Alex Dyer.

We have about twenty acolytes for the 9:00 and 11:00 services. Due the hectic nature of families' schedules and our need for five to six acolytes each Sunday, we are looking at creative ways to recruit more acolytes. If your child is age 10 or older and would like to acolyte, contact an Acolyte Shepherd or the Parish Office.

More information on the acolyte ministry including server schedules can be found on our web page: www.trinitynewhaven.org/acolytes.

Adult Education

The Rev. Alex Dyer & the Rev. Estelle Webb

Adult Education is in full swing at Trinity. The Rev. Estelle Webb continued with the Lenten Spirituality Series last Lent entitled: Praying with St. Francis of Assisi and the recent Advent Spirituality Series on Celtic Spirituality.

The Adult Forum (Sunday mornings from 10:10-10:40) began this past spring and since its conception has hosted a variety of topics and interesting speakers. The Adult Education Committee is always looking for interesting and new ideas. At our most recent meeting, the committee decided to solicit the parish via a survey in order to branch out into new areas of interest.

We plan to continue with the Via Media programs, trying them at different times. Via Media is a program that examines the Christian beliefs from an Episcopal point of view.

Adult Mission Trips

Leigh Lindsay

Mississippi Mission Trip II - May 6-May 12, 2007

Fourteen members and friends of Trinity spent a second week in Long Beach, Mississippi at Camp Coast Care. They had just moved out of the Coast Episcopal School gym and into the adjacent brand new facility. The new volunteer space was hardly luxurious but a definite improvement with more bathrooms and a larger kitchen. The "dorm" contained rows of bunk beds with milk crates as nightstands but the place was clean and air-conditioned.

Similar to last year our group participated in a variety of projects. Many of us spent time at the Thomas house nailing up sheet rock, then mudding and taping to make the walls smooth. Robert, the grandfather of the family was there working alongside of us. He was a wiry man, very friendly and grateful.

Another project involved building a deck and steps on a house that was up on the now required stilts. This house was one of only 2 or 3 actual houses on this street not far from the beach. Mostly there were trailers and the broken remains of small houses and sheds. This was a neighborhood that was not in great shape before the storm and Katrina did nothing to improve it. We did, however! We (under the leadership of Claudio) built a beautiful deck, front steps, and a side landing and steps. The owner, Daniel, came around a few times and gave his approval. We loved seeing his sense of whimsy in his choice of bright blue and purple paint for the bedrooms. Yellow paint was to go up next in the living room. At least now, he had a way to enter his home without having to climb up the scaffolding.

A third "project" involved remaining at Camp and helping to maintain the facility. With many volunteers coming and going each week much effort needs to be put into cleaning the dorm, the bathrooms and the kitchen. In addition, although there was a paid cook, volunteers were needed to assist with the prep of three meals a day. Our group assisted admirably in the cleaning and especially the cooking.

We were glad to see a major improvement in the area since last year. More stores and restaurants were open, more homes had been rebuilt, and the people generally seemed upbeat and moving forward. There were beautiful "new" homes built overlooking the beach and right next to empty slabs. The small amount we did to help the people of this area is at its greatest when combined with the volunteer efforts of hundreds of others both before and after us. Lots of small steps will add up to rebuild the homes and lives of people in the Mississippi Gulf.

Trinity's Habitat Project - November 1-November 3, 2007

Trinity members and friends spent three days this past November working for Habitat for Humanity, New Haven. About twenty of us worked for one, two, or three days at three different sites in New Haven. This was a continuation of a long relationship Trinity has had with Habitat and was spurred on by a desire to help out locally. Many of us who worked on this project had spent time in Mississippi on one or both of the previous Adult Mission trips.

We worked at one house on Rosette St. in the Hill neighborhood. This house was almost complete and was the fifth house on the block to be worked on by Habitat volunteers. The second house was in the Newhallville neighborhood and was just beginning its road to renovation. The house was in very bad shape but has been adopted by a group from Madison for on-going work.

Thirdly, we spent one day at the Habitat, New Haven headquarters helping them organize, inventory, and mark items in their garages and a large trailer. They have many items donated to them and assistance is needed to keep track of what is available for future use.

The experience was a good one and included at least 10 people new to mission work at Trinity. We hope to plan another work project soon.

Altar Guild

Chairperson: Jan Tredwell

It may not always be fun coming to Trinity early on a Saturday morning, when there are so many other things which require our time. But, preparing the elements/vessels for the Eucharist, changing linens, replacing candles, and arranging flowers need to be done. And it is often difficult to pull away from the friendly conversations on a Sunday morning to clean up after a service or set up for the next service, but this needs to be done. And it requires even greater commitment to walk away from a family Christmas dinner to come to Trinity early to set up for the Christmas Eve or Christmas morning service, but this, also, needs to be done. And what if they did not come?

It is like so many other parts of Trinity that we would miss - if "they" did not come. Trinity IS here and continues to function because individuals have made it a priority in their lives. Whether it is through a gift of time or money, it is up to us to demonstrate that Trinity is indeed a priority in our lives, or the services and the programs of Trinity that feed us, that we love, and that we expect to be here, will not be here.

The individuals listed below have demonstrated that Trinity is a priority for them, by doing the, sometimes, inconvenient work of the Altar Guild, by sharing their specific talents, and by, usually, enjoying the service they have committed to. Please join me in thanking them, and, especially, Joanne McKeand who has the significant responsibility of planning, organizing, and shepherding the flower component of our altar guild.

Book Group

Chairperson: Jenny Briggs (summer 2008 substitute chair Veronica Soell)

The Book Group has been meeting regularly since the early 1980s to discuss books ranging from current bestsellers to classic literature to biography to, well, all sorts of subjects - an eclectic mixture of fiction and non-fiction. The meetings are held approximately every six weeks from September to May, usually at 7.30 p.m. on a week-night in the home of a member. In June or July each year the members of the group meet for the Annual Book Browse. Title suggestions are made and discussed over coffee or a meal, and together the group decides on a list as well as a schedule of dates and locations for the meetings in the upcoming year.

New members (or visitors for individual meetings) are always welcome to join this relaxed and friendly group. Contact Jenny for directions. The book list and schedule for 2007-2008 are found at the Book Group's web page.

Christian Education (Church School)

Church School Director: Linda Sheehan

The 2007-2008 Church School session has been one of growth and change. We have successfully combined the 9 and 11 am sessions into one time slot from 10:10-10:40.am. Our teachers and children have done a great job adapting to the new schedule.

A new Pre-School/Kindergarten room has been added and 11 children have been registered in that age group to date. The number registered for Trinity's Church School totals 24.

Average attendance since September 9 has been 19 for the combined session. We have been fortunate to have our veteran teachers return this year. Margaret Phelps is in charge of grades 1-3, Jack Tebes and Pat Bellmore share grades 4-6. Chi Anako has gotten the Pre-School group off to a solid start and Mary Beth Wafer joined the team just before Christmas. Ray Chappell returns as our Church School Superintendent.

Our summer 2007 session focused on prayer. The children learned about the different types of prayer. Our main focus was learning the Lord's Prayer, breaking it down into separate verses each week.

We are looking forward to continued growth as new families join Trinity.

Columbarium Committee

Chair: Barbara Fennelly

As you all know the Vestry has approved the construction of the Columbarium since pledges have been made that meet the required 80% of the construction cost. At the December Vestry meeting, Duo Dickinson reported that the Properties Committee recommends deferring the bidding process for the Columbarium and Elevator to January or February of 2008. Construction should therefore be delayed to start in June 2009 and be finished by mid-November 2009. This is a later date than we had hoped for but it will allow time for people to contact Sherrill to make their payment or to set up a payment plan for their pledge for the Columbarium. A letter will be going out shortly to those people with more detail.

Information about the Columbarium is available at our web site at http://www.trinitynewhaven.org/columbarium/.

Community Outreach Committee

Chairperson: Robert Orr

The Community Outreach Committee administers a budget of approximately $100,000, which it distributes in the form of grants to some 80 organizations and ministries. Many of the organizations are in New Haven, serving the poor, the hungry, the homeless and the victims of incapacitating circumstances, such as from AIDS, abuse and neglect. However, several organizations and ministries are outside New Haven, including Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Ukraine and Africa. All reflect Trinity's mission of "Serving God through serving others."

The committee meets 6 or 7 times per year in generally two-hour sessions on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM in the undercroft where it considers and votes on 10 to 15 grant applications per session. Applicants for grants include history and purpose of organization, annual report, amount and reason for request, and listings and amounts of other revenue sources. Occasionally organizations make presentations to the committee in support of their applications and occasionally members of the committee visit the operations of organizations to become familiar with the use and benefit of church funds. Grants from certain church funds require Vestry approval.

In addition to the grants program, the Community Outreach Committee also runs the annual Tons of Food program. Tons of Food is a friendly competition between 12 churches in the New Haven area to collect nonperishable food over a three-week period, usually in the spring, for the benefit of area food pantries.

Lastly, the Community Outreach Committee sees to it that food collected during weekly services is delivered to area food pantries.

The following Grants were approved in 2007 by the Community Outreach Committee. Grants from the Trowbridge Fund for Missions, the Missionary and Benevolent Society, the M.L. Shepard Fund, and the Seminaries Fund require Vestry approval. Grants from the Community Outreach Budget do not require Vestry approval.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Aid Project New Haven, Caring Cuisine$2,000
All Our Kin, Inc.$1,000
Christian Community Action$2,000
Columbus House$4,000
Community Soup Kitchen$2,500
Connecticut Food Bank$1,000
Cook and Care Walk-A-Thon (ICM)$1,000
Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen$5,500
FISH of Greater New Haven$2,000
Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund$2,000
Interfaith Cooperative Ministries$500
New Haven Deanery$7,000
New Haven Home Recovery$5,000
St. James Christian Academy $2,000
Youth Continuum: HOSTS Program$1,500
Total Community Outreach Grants (15)$39,000

TROWBRIDGE FUND FOR MISSIONS
Children's Center, The$1,500
Children's Mission of St. Paul and St. James$5,500
Church Mission Society - USA$2,000
Community Mediation - Dialogue Project$3,500
D'Andre Mission to Kiev, Ukraine$6,000
Episcopal Church at Yale$3,000
Fair Haven Parents Ministry$2,500
Habitat for Humanity$6,500
Hill Neighborhood Mentoring$3,500
Life Haven, Inc.$2,500
Loaves and Fishes$1,500
Total Trowbridge Grants (11)$36,000

MISSIONARY AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
All Saints Episcopal Church, Puerto Rico$1,500
St. Luke in the Fields (Youth Program)$1,000
Hospital Albert Schweitzer, Haiti$3,000
Total Missionary and Benevolent Grants (3)$5,500

MAY L. SHEPARD FUND
Best Buddies, Inc.$500
Liberty Community Services, Inc.$1,895
Total M.L. Shepard Grants (2)$2,395

SEMINARIES FUND
Berkeley Divinity School$500
Episcopal Divinity School$500
General Theological Seminary$500
Total Seminaries Grants (3)$1,500
TOTAL 2007 GRANTS (34)$84,395

Co-chairs: Gloria Hoda, Kathy Garre-Ayars

The Episcopal Church Women gather several times a year for education and social events, and also for a yearly retreat. Our numbers are growing as well as our interests. All Trinity woman and friends of Trinity are invited and welcomed.

This year Trinity's ECW and St. Luke's ECW shared several programs and meals together. Our programs included:

Women's Health
Cynthia Russett, (Yale Professor of History) Sisters in the Spirit: Women Religious Leaders
Women's Retreat at the Incarnation Center with Sister Collette - Finding my own Call
Annual ECW Diocesan Meeting
Ladies' night out dinner and theater party
Tai Chi by Suzanne Hanley, Tai Chi instructor

A Women's Retreat is scheduled for April 18 and 19, 2008.
ECW supports Life Haven with tangible contributions for clients.

ECW is also partnering a new program at Trinity called the Circle of Caring. This new ministry reaches out to parishioners and friends of Trinity during times of illness and need. With permission from the respective parishioner, their name is circulated among members of ECW, the Holiday Bazaar, Vestry, Altar Guild, and Trinity Home Board. Prayers are offered, cards are sent, and people reach out to others in any way that may be helpful. This ministry is just developing and is meeting with great success in bringing our parish family closer together. All suggestions are welcomed as we move forward.

For more information and pictures from our fall retreat, see Women at Trinity at http://www.trinitynewhaven.org/women/.

Holiday Bazaar

Chairperson: Mary Ann Stroup

Thanks to all of you we have had another successful Holiday Bazaar. After all the numbers were double-checked, the bills paid, and adjustments factored, the Holiday Bazaar 2007 raised $30,500. To date, the Holiday Bazaar has raised $240,500. Over $126,000 has been spent on window restoration. We now have the total $90,000 needed for the three windows presently designated to be restored over the next two years. One window has been removed and the restoration begun. There are seven windows remaining requiring varying amounts of restorative work; some of the windows require minimal restoration.

Since 1995, the number of volunteers has grown from 2 to more than 125. The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment of all our volunteers were heartwarming. I again want to personally thank all of you for your many varied contributions, support, and commitment to the Holiday Bazaar and our legacy to restore the stained glass windows.

At our Annual Holiday Bazaar Review Meeting, hard questions were asked. Over 30 volunteers participated in a lively discussion. People are committed to continuing the Holiday Bazaar beyond the completion of the stained glass windows.

It was affirmed the Holiday Bazaar brings people together, gives Trinity a small parish feeling, welcomes newcomers, reaches out to the community, and gives Trinity terrific exposure to the public. To that end, it was decided beginning this year some seed money would be set aside for publicity and expenses for the following year. Last year, Trinity Home Board provided the Holiday Bazaar with a grant to help offset expenses. This combination will help to keep the Holiday Bazaar healthy. It was agreed that the Holiday Bazaar should not do additional fundraising to support the bazaar.

The Sewing & Wednesday Morning Craft Group

This group accomplished a great deal to give our bazaar a very fresh and bountiful inventory. Many other volunteers worked independently and fed off of these groups. The Bake Sale and Cookie Walk was a grand success. Simply put - sold out! Thank you to the many volunteers who contributed condiments, sweets, breads and cookies, and especially to the volunteers who baked each day because our inventory was depleted.

The Raffle

The Raffle is a favorite because it helps us provide something for everybody. This year we reduced the ticket prices for the baskets to make it more affordable to all. The Train Set was a success. The Wall Hanging took many hours and devotion to create but did not meet with the expected return. The difficulty meeting state mandates, securing the required state permits, and inability to sell tickets for special raffles before the bazaar opens has led to the decision to only do the basket raffle. Getting people to commit earlier and identifying the actual contents of the baskets will be a major push next year.

The Silent Auction

The Silent Auction continues to grow reaching $14,500 this year. This is a monumental amount of work. Bless this committee for their perseverance and commitment. Again, far too many donations from Trinity parishioners came in too close to the actual bazaar proving to be a hardship on the data entry person and the committee. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped to make this a success.

The Food Court

We all look forward to Chef Mary's kitchen and delights. This year we were better able to coordinate supplies needed for the food court with many generous donations by parishioners. Next year, we will be adding a Thursday lunch. All ideas are welcomed.

The Tag Sale

I don't believe anyone can pass up the tag sale. A small army of volunteers, in a matter of a few days arranges and prices all the items and it turns into a tag sale boutique. Unfortunately, for the first time comments were made about opening early and that the tag sale looked picked over.

About 40 Commemorative Tiles were sold. We always hope to sell 50. The cost is significant and we are blessed that it is donated. We are evaluating if we can find a cheaper way to produce the tile and evaluate reducing the number of tiles.

It is through the all these components of the bazaar that we are so successful. Bless all of you for your commitment, contributions, and support.

Home Board

Chair: Nancy Ahlstrom

"The Trinity Home Board [was] created for the purpose of aiding the elderly, needy, and others whom the Board considers entitled to its benefits..." To carry out this statement of purpose the Home Board has an endowment whose interest it dispenses through the year in various ways.

In 2007, the Board voted to give support to 15 agencies and groups which actively work with seniors or provide programs for seniors. The Home Board also supports the Conference Call expenses, supports the salaries of parish workers who devote time to the elderly, and provides discretionary funds to be used for parishioners with special needs. In addition, money is used for senior programs through the year.

During 2007, a brunch was held at the Rusty Scupper restaurant and a lunch at the New Haven Country Club. A day's outing occurred in August when seniors traveled to Essex for a ride on the Essex steam train, including a riverboat ride on the Connecticut River near East Haddam. The day ended with a late lunch at Bill's Seafood Restaurant in Clinton. The year ended with a special Christmas tea held at Whitney Center. We were well entertained by Walden Moore at the piano. The Board hopes to do other interesting and fun programs during 2008.

Investments Committee

Mary Bradley, for the Investments Committee

We are very proud to report that the Trinity Church endowment stands at $13,097,109, an increase of 9.09% over last year. Withdrawn for 2007 were $908,424 ($100,000 for future emergency repairs to the church).

As always, we owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Haggerty of the New Haven office of UBS Financial Services for his 21 years of dedicated attention to our portfolio.

Music Committee

Chairperson: Joseph Dzeda

Anyone who walks into the undercroft or the church Tuesday through Friday afternoons and evenings will feel a palpable sense of energy before, during, and after choir rehearsals - energy generated by people working together at Trinity for the common cause of music. And these days are only the warm-up for the "big event" - Sunday morning at Trinity, a time when music and the spoken word are woven together in a single powerful message. Our four choirs provide not only inspirational musical settings in the form of psalms and anthems but they also lead the singing of the assembled congregation in hymns and service music, both familiar and new.

The Spirit Singers

After much discussion and soul searching, a new and improved 9:00 am service has emerged. New hymns are regularly introduced to the congregation and we are now using 5 different hymnal sources for our selections. In accordance with the goal of bringing the service physically closer to the congregation, the Spirit Singers now sing on risers located on the floor level, in front of the lectern. New anthems have been added to the Spirit Singer library with individual octavos (separate copies) purchased for each member. Another significant change is the addition of beautiful blue robes for the Spirit Singers. The robes will be worn every Sunday, and will be worn for the first time at the January Parish Sunday service. The Spirit Singers have an active membership of 19, and are always ready to accept new singers and instrumentalists. Please contact Roy Mazzacane at 288-2492 or roy.mazzacane@snet.net.

Trinity Singers

Like the Spirit Singers, the membership of the Trinity Singers consists of singers of many ages, from grandparents to teenagers. A single rehearsal of this group can include plainsong, Brahms, and a lively spiritual. In addition to singing at least one 9 or 11 am service each month and the Advent Lessons and Carols and Easter Eve services, the Trinity Singers now also sing an occasional service of Choral Evensong. This group of dedicated singers works diligently at strengthening their voices, and spends a portion of each rehearsal improving their hymn singing skills, so that, when they are in the pews they can bring strong support to the congregational singing from the "other" side of the Chancel arch. The Trinity Singers number 32 singers in its active membership, and welcomes new singers year-round. Please contact Walden Moore at 776-2616 or music@trinitynewhaven.org.

The Choir of Men and Boys

The Choir of Men and Boys completed its 121st season and began its 122nd with the usual busy schedule of services at Trinity and appearances at events outside the parish. In the spring, the choir graduated a large number of boys due to voice change, and a class of four new boys started in the fall term. There are currently 19 boys and 14 men in the choir. The Boys Choir continues to serve as a major community presence of Trinity and, thanks to the strong support of the parish, continues to attract many new boys and their families to the parish life. Walden is currently conducting auditions for Boys for next season (contact information is above).

The Choir of Men and Girls

The Choir of Men and Girls has exhibited strong musical growth in the past year, as it enters its fifth year of life serving the parish. I am astonished how quickly this relatively "new" choir has come up to speed; I frequently hear worshippers expressing the same amazement. Like the Boys Choir, the Girls Choir has taken a strong role in representing Trinity outside the walls of the parish, and took their first (and highly successful) training trip to England in the summer of 2007, singing with the cathedral choirs of Guildford, Southwark and Winchester Cathedrals. There were a large number of graduations from the Girls Choir after the trip, many of them being founding members of the choir who were moving on to life in the latter years of high school. There are currently 19 Girls and 11 ATB singers in the Choir - Walden is currently conducting auditions for Girls for next season (contact information is above).

Both the Boys and Girls Choirs have begun filming a recruiting DVD (to be released in the Fall of 2008) to help carry the story of the choirs to a much wider audience of potential singers and their families. In our increasingly busy times, we find that it is a challenge to get parents to stop long enough to look at the many advantages that choir membership brings. This DVD will be a demonstrative and concise way to do so, and it will also be an effective way to share information on this, one of our most effective means of outreach into the community.

Staff

In January of 2007, Walden began a new chapter by receiving an appointment as Lecturer in Organ (adj.) at the Yale School of Music/Institute of Sacred Music - this appointment is made so that he can teach a class in service playing to the organ majors. Trinity's musicians (and Trinity itself) have always supported the training of the next generation of church musicians, and this is another positive move in that direction.

In June of 2007, we bade farewell to graduating Assistant Organist Sonia Kim. In the Fall of 2007, we were delighted to welcome Jessica French, a native of Utah and second-year student at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, as Sonia's replacement. And we are indeed fortunate that Chris Lane, who had already been with us for a year, was able to be with us for one more year.

When the Rev. Alex Dyer came on board last winter, as a natural part of his responsibilities with the young people of the parish, he graciously accepted the informal but important role of Choir Chaplain to our Boys and Girls Choirs. He has already been actively involved in some of the choir life activities, including choir camp and the many occasions in which the choir family is together outside of Sunday morning.

Thank you

Thanks to the constant support and encouragement of our Rector, our Associate and Assistant Rectors, the Vestry, the choirparents and the entire congregation, music at Trinity is an important part of not only our worship life but also of our life together as people in a community. We have increased the number of Choral Evensongs we are offering to the wider community. We are grateful that our musical ministry continues to be a strong part of our "serving Christ by serving others," and we send our thanks to those who give their time each week to this end.

Our special thanks also go to Roy and Walden, their able and dedicated staff members - Chris, Gail, Jessica, Paul, and Phyllis, and all of the wonderful choir members for their inspiration and leadership each week and for the invaluable contribution they make to our worship services. At Trinity, we truly do "make a joyful noise unto the Lord!"

Properties Committee

Chairperson: Duo Dickinson

In 2007, Trinity finalized its approach to handicapped accessibility to the Undercroft, resolved to create the Columbarium, and raised enough money to initiate an extended contract to repair and/or protect three of our beloved stained glass windows (funded by the miraculous Holiday Bazaar). The Vestry also authorized the allocation of a Properties Reserve from the endowment to allow us to piggyback long-term stabilization projects for the Undercroft and our infrastructure to the bidding of the Columbarium and the elevator (those drawings are ongoing).

This fall, the Properties and the Vestry decided that the bidding schedule for the elevator accessibility project, the Columbarium, and the ancillary Undercroft work will necessitate these multiple jobs starting in June 2009 - allowing for a compression and precision of the construction schedule that will minimize the impact on Trinity's day-to-day life during this tough 4-6 month period of disturbance. Additionally, the new front doors were delayed in their installation from pre-Christmas to pre-Easter of this year, and one window is at present being restored and will be replaced by Easter as well.

Each of these important decisions to move forward capped long-term processes of one form or another, some of them painful, but in the end all of them fruitful in their maintenance and enhancement of our beloved stone box on the Green.

We expanded our membership this year by a couple of new faces and have participated in the usual work days that assist in changing light bulbs, polishing pews, helping create a raised platform for choristers, and a draft suppression membrane at the side altar window.

As Trinity looks to its physical plant's future, one of our new members, Ralph Stroup, has endeavored to do research on yet another potential grant to source funds to help defray the costs of all the aforementioned. Given the state of our building, the out years will demand long term expenditures to prevent the sort of crisis-management brinksmanship that usually wastes money and endangers our spiritual home - now is the time to think creatively and concretely about what must be done at what cost in what time window - a process began 4 years ago, but now being updated.

Special Events Committee

Chairperson: Leigh Lindsay

The Special Events Committee sponsored several new events this year thanks in large part to our Assistant Rector Alex Dyer.

February 13 saw an old favorite, the Hymn Sing and Pot Luck Supper. Thanks, Walden, for making it a lovely evening.

During the summer, our group sponsored 3 breakfasts before the 10am service. Each had between 30-40 people. These are a great way to relax and socialize on a Sunday morning.

The Parish Picnic was held in September again this year at Light House Point (free parking!). It was a great way to begin the academic year. Thanks to all who helped and brought food to share.

On October 29, we had a Halloween Party following an Evensong. This was a costumed event for all ages who shared lots of treats, fun, and games provided by the Youth Group.

Advent found us making wreaths in the Undercroft. A potluck dinner came first and there were lots of greens to make wreaths with as well a booklet and candles to bring home.

We are just about to begin Trinity Supper Clubs, groups of 6 - 8 people who gather to socialize and get to know each other. The groups will have their first meeting on Tuesday, January 22.

Thank to the hard working Committee members and others who help make these events happen. We are interested in your ideas or suggestions for future events.

Stewardship Committee

Chair: Jake Dell

The stewardship committee is pleased to report that the 2008 pledge drive was the most successful in Trinity's history. To date 221 pledges have been received (down 15 from last year) for a total of $530,683 in pledges (up $22,080 from last year). 16 new pledging units were added and 6 past pledging units were reactivated.

The campaign exceeded its goal of $525,000 by over $5,000 and stands at 101.1% of goal. The average pledge increased from $2,155 for 2007 to $2,401 in 2008. This is the first time on record that the stewardship drive has met or exceeded its goal. Overall results have increased by 11% since 2006 from $476,575 to $530,683. If you have not done so already, please consider pledging this year. You can pledge at any time by contacting Sherrill Farkas, Parish Administrator, at 776-2606.

Yarn Works

Coordinators: Candy Carl-Stannard (483-0502) and Linda Sheehan

The Trinity Knitting Ministry and Holiday Bazaar Knitting Group are merging to combine efforts to produce fun knitted/crocheted items for the bazaar as well as prayer shawls for those in need, transition, and/or grief. Join us, and we will provide lessons, patterns, materials and brunch.  The spring schedule is: 10:45 am to 1:00 pm on Sundays March 30, April 20, and May 11, 2008; on June 8 we will meet immediately following the 10:00 am Boys' Choir Recognition service.

Youth Ministry

The Rev. Alex Dyer, Youth Coordinator, and the Youth Group at Trinity

There have been some important changes and additions in the youth ministry programs here at Trinity. There are now two youth groups: Junior High (grades 6-8) and Senior High (grades 9-12). The Jr. High Youth Group meets from 4:00 - 6:00 and the Sr. High Youth Group meets from 5:30 - 7:30, this allows both groups 30 minutes to eat together. We are currently averaging about 4 youth in our Jr. High Youth Group and 20-25 youth in our Sr. High Youth Group.

The two youth groups also allow for age-appropriate topics. The best example was a four-hour conversation we had at the Sr. High Lock-in in response to the film The Laramie Project. Most of the conversation centered on the power of words and hate-speech.

This past summer, about ten youth attended a short mission trip to Boston to participate in the Common Cathedral. This ministry of the Episcopal Cathedral in Boston provides a Eucharist service on the Boston Common and then feeds the homeless of Boston. We spent the night at a church in Quincy, MA, ate dinner at Cheers (though most of the youth were too young to remember the television show), and visited some historic churches. This coming July we are planning a mission trip to the Shenandoah Valley to work with other youth on projects in the surrounding area.

We recently embarked on a new confirmation program entitled Confirm not Conform. Thirteen youth are participating in this program that is in its second pilot year. These youth along with youth from St. Lukes and St. James in Fair Haven will be confirmed on Saturday, March 29 at 4:00 pm here at Trinity.

The goal this year is to continue to improve communication among the parents and the youth and to recruit more youth, especially in grades 6-9.