Trinity Presbyterian Church

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We open our doors to all persons to join in worship, fellowship, educational programs and service.
We welcome into membership all who profess faith in Jesus Christ without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, sexual orientation, disability, or any other human condition.
We elect and ordain persons who are called by God and committed to serving the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church.

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Read about: Who we are, How to contact us: phone number, mailing & email addresses, Where we are: Map & driving directions, How we worship, Growth opportunities for youth and adults, Music at Trinity, Our mission in our world and community, Special events and groups, How to join... and be sure to watch our video!

3rd Sunday in Advent, Choir Cantata; The Trinity Choir is joined by soloists and a chamber orchestra to present selections from Handel's The Messiah.

Sun, Nov 21 2010 1:41 PM CST
November 21, 2010 sermon by Dan & Linda Anderson-Little [more]

Rumi's Wedding Night: John MacEnulty, Native American Flute, in Concert

Rumi's Wedding NightJohn MacEnulty, Native American Flute, in Concert
An evening of healing betweenChristian, Muslim, and Jew

6:15 panel discussionWith Fatima Kashavarz, Imam Muhammed Hasic,
Howard Schwartz, and John Renard
7:30 Concert, Rumi's Wedding NightJohn MacEnulty, Native American flute
A celebration of the poetry of the most popular and beloved poet in America today, a 13th century Muslim poet.
"Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi
8:30 open dialogue with audience

For more information, or if you'd like to volunteer to help with this concert
please call 314-395-9962
Co-sponsored by:The Ethical SocietyThe Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond WallsThe Living Insights Center

This performance is for healing the growing cultural rift between certain elements of this country and the Muslim religion. The estrangement is still in its early stages. We can be a part of heading it off. Please come and bring your friends of all political persuasions.

The basic idea of this night is that Rumi is the most popular poet in the United States today. We are in tune with the values and sense of love and beauty expressed by this great poet. He just happens to be the greatest Muslim poet of all time. And so without realizing it, we join cultures through the poetry of Rumi.

We need to see the commonality of our values as expressed through the poetry of Rumi. By pointing out the shared sense of love and caring we demonstrate that we share deeply with our Muslim brothers and sisters. This will be done by selected readings and musical interpretations of the poetry on the Native American flute.

We learn to respect the ways of others, that even the greatest of prophets needs humility. We learn that the highest levels of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are deeply rooted in the inexpressible mystery of the divine. We share the mystery in deep and beautiful ways that need to become a part of our cultural and political dialogue. May we begin to find our deeper connections through the poetry of Rumi.

There will be dialogue before and after this performance to see if we can find our true relationships. If you have ideas or opinions about Muslim, Christian, Jewish relationships please come and express your views, regardless of what they are that we may begin to share a deeper understanding of who we are to each other, Muslim, Christian, Jew.
John MacEnulty was the principal tuba player with the St. Louis Symphony from 1962 until 1982 when his playing career was ended by Bell's palsy, a paralysis of the facial muscles. He was conductor and executive director of the Belleville Philharmonic from 1983 until 1991 when this career was interrupted by cancer (lymphoma). After a near death experience and a major shift of life values John began a period of spiritual seeking, writing and meditating, culminating in the discovery of the Native American Flute an instrument which he describes as "much more than musical."
Fatemeh Keshavarz is professor of Persian and comparative literature and chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis. Her book "Jasmine and Stars, Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran" is a direct, frank, and intimate exploration of Iranian literature and society. Scholar, teacher, and poet, her fresh perspective on present day Iran provides a rare insight into this rich culture alive with artistic expression but virtually unknown to most Americans. She is also author of four previous books, including Reading Mystical Lyric: The Case of Jalal Al-Din Rumi.
Muhamed Hasic is Imam of the St. Louis' Islamic Community Center a largely Bosnian Muslim group. The Bosnians immigrated to the United States in the mid 1990s during the war, fleeing almost unimaginable suffering in their country and seeking solace in a new land. St. Louis has between 50,000 and 70,000 Bosnians, a substantial population. The Bosnians moved into old neighborhoods and opened businesses. They are widely credited by many in St. Louis with vastly improving areas of the city.
Howard Schwartz, professor of English at University of Missouri St. Louis, is a three time winner of the National Jewish Book Award. He is a nationally reknown writer of Jewish fiction, essays, and children's stories, as well as editing numerous publications. He has received awards and recognitions too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say that he is a nationally recognizd authority on Jewish culture and its relationship to the world community.
John Renard is a Professor of Theological Studies at St. Louis University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University with focus on religious literature in Arabic and Persian, Islamic art history, and religion. He has written extensively on Islamic culture, including "All the King's Falcons: Rumi on Prophets and Revelation"

Sermon - Question: Which Jesus Do We Follow? Answer: Yes!
Preacher: This Sunday's sermon will be a joint sermon preached by the Rev. Linda Anderson-Little of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Clayton and Dr. Dan Anderson-Little.
Music in Worship -Trinity Choir

Saturday, Dec. 4, 5pm
In "Living Toward A Vision," Walter Brueggeman commented on the importance of relationships. "If you ask almost any adult about the impact of church school on his or her growth, he or she will not tell you about books or curriculum or Bible stories or anything like that. The central memory is of the teacher."
Relationships matter. Our hope is that by pairing each confirmation student with an adult mentor, the pair will establish a relationship of connection and care that will extend well into the future.
Saturday evening, December 4, will be a casual time together to share life over a meal and discussion. Save the date.

You may have noticed photographers around during worship & events as we prepare our re-designed website. We will contact you if we want to use a picture including you, butif you already know you don't want us to use your image, please let Liz (tpcucity@swbell.net) know.

The walls of the shaft are being built this week and next and all inspections by various U City and state inspectors are going well. We are still on target for project completion by the end of the year. Thanks for your patience and ability to follow the blue tape!

Trinity church's generous ministry provided the funding for the Presbyterian Women's weekly Tuesday group to purchase and delivered the bedding to Gateway Homeless on Tuesday, November 16.
As most of you know this PW group is small but has a big heart. There were five of us who put the new bed skirts, sheets, pillowcases, and comforters on the beds: Rose Ann Bodman, Genny Richmond, Carol Kramer, Sue Lorenz, and Cathy Kramer joined us on her lunch hour to help make beds. This large 26 bed dormatory style room certainly brightened up when we were finished.
Gateway Homeless provides shelter for homeless women and their children. The Gateway Homeless Shelter is a place for mothers and children to live temporarily. The shelter is a four story facility (whose elevators do not work) we can easily relate to that, with a total of 110 beds. The women are assisted is finding employment and eventually their own housing. Eighty percent of the women manage to continue sustaining themselves and their children.
Thank you Trinity members for your many ministries. Oh yes, of course we had lunch while we were out at The Fountains on Locust. We enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches, Polish pickel soup, and the world's smallest hot fudge sunda. It was truly a wounderful day shared with friends.

The housewarming for the WCC Presbyterian home we sponsored is now scheduled for 2 PM Saturday, November 20. We are hoping you will be able to come, celebrate, and join us in blessing the home. Dan will be there to offer the prayer of blessing and thanksgiving. Trinity is giving Kim a Visa gift card. Please email Pat Gibbons (pcg@wuphys.wustl.edu) for directions and a map.

I honestly don't care if my son and/or daughter end up being gay. They are creations by God and are created just as they should be. What sends shivers down my spine is knowing that they would have to navigate a world and culture that would, for the most part, misunderstand them, hate them, or even try to hurt them. They could be emotionally beaten down to the point that they lose their faith or, worse yet, no longer want to live.
With that in mind, I decided to accept an open invitation to the official kickoff of the local "I CARE!" Campaign last Sunday after church. St. Louis area leaders, supporters, youth, family and friends of the LGBTQIA Community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, and Ally) gathered to learned more about the "I CARE!" Campaign, which will serve as an informational network to direct those in distress to the appropriate organization. It is the brainchild of RHINO: Reaching & Helping Individuals, None Overlooked.
The Campaign is for everybody in the St. Louis area who cares about LGBTQIA issues including Suicide, Homelessness, Hate Crimes, HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention, and Older Adults. The need for this campaign comes from the increasing number of people in our community who are affected by these issues and feel that they are alone. Within the last year there have been hate crimes, bashings, numerous suicides, and teen couch surfing within the STL LGBTQIA community. The "I CARE!" Campaign officially rolled out on Monday, November 15th, when supporters wore I CARE! T-shirts and started distributing campaign information in their respective communities, schools, and workplaces.
Guess who has a handful of posters and resource cards? That's right; you'll be seeing them around Trinity, and here's why: because I saw pain and courage on the faces of the dozens of young people present at the kick-off; because my heart breaks when I hear of another person (young or old) killing themselves because of someone else's hate and ignorance; because I am tired of being SILENT most of the time about this issue; because I am supposed to be a Christian and need to show that through my actions, not just my baptismal certificate; because statistically there should be a handful of gay children growing up in our congregation right now--are we doing all we can to show God's infinite love to them so they can battle the bullying and worse that is out there?; and because, selfishly, I want a better world for Karla and Julia, whether they are gay or not.
I encourage us as a congregation to have a voice in the issue of homophobia and bullying over the coming years, because the entire community needs to feel the unlimited grace and love of God as we try to live it out in our congregation and our individual lives. What do we do above and beyond providing resource fliers? Let's figure that out together.

...will be Sunday, December 19. Put the date on your calendar & get out your recipe box! We will feast while preparing cookie packages to deliver. Details coming soon. Contact: Karen Coletti.

Music in Worship - Prairie Five Bluegrass Group
Also in Worship - Rainbow presentation celebrating Quinn Evans' baptism

Fifteen youth from Trinity participated in this past weekend's fall retreat at Camp RockyVine in Dutzow, Missouri. Youth from St. Mark Presbyterian Church and Community Christian Church in west county joined us for the weekend. Check out pictures on facebook from the weekend SOON!

Meet at Trinity this Sunday at 9:30am. We will walk over to Bread Co. for breakfast and devotions. We will be back in time for 10:30 worship.

Come to Trinity between 1-5pm Saturday December 4th to help clear the clutter and clean the messes. Jobs for most ages. Tell Liz in the office that you're able to come -- see you there!

This year's Stewardship Gratitude theme is "Counting our Blessings."
Listen as Bill Cahoon talks about "The Blessings in the Budget"...

Thanksgiving Outreach Request - Turkeys or $ Donations Needed by Monday

Next Wednesday, November 17th will be a big day for the Winger Food Pantry here at Trinity because it's our annual turkey give away day! Last year we gave out almost 90 turkeys, and we were able to do this because of the generosity of individuals like you.

Cash or check to cover the cost of purchasing turkeys ($12 is the estimated price of each turkey we plan to buy). Can be made out to Trinity with "turkeys" in the memo line. Money is preferred to turkeys. Needed by this Sunday the 14th.

Actual turkeys (8-10lb range) to be left in the church freezer by next Monday the 15th.

Statement by Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis in Condemnation of Cargo Package Incident / Upcoming Interfaith Events

- Mary Pedersen, Acting Executive Director, Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Wall
Statement by Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis in Condemnation of Cargo Package Incident
'... any attempted attack on a religious community, is an attack against all religions...'
November, 2010 -- The Muslim Community in St. Louis is grateful to law enforcement and security officials who successfully intercepted the explosive packages that were recently sent from Yemen, addressed to synagogues in Chicago.
Attempts of terrorism conducted by a small group of extremists should not overshadow the strong links and bonds between the Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States, particularly here in St. Louis. The Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis stands by the principle that any attempted attack on a religious community, is an attack against all religions. Indeed, the future of interfaith relations and cooperation is much stronger than the destructive ideology of the misled extremists.

Dialogue Group of the World Religions and Philosophies
The 48th meeting of St. Louis' Dialogue Group of the World's Religions and Philosophies will be held on Wednesday evening, November 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Saint Louis University in the St. Louis Room of Busch Student Center (northeast corner of Grand and Laclede). Parking is available in the parking garage on the southwest corner of Grand and Laclede. Representatives of Sikhism, Judaism, the Baha'i Faith, and Unitarian-Universalism will discuss how their religions view scientific theories such as the Big Bang and the theory of evolution. Representatives of other religions will then join in the discussion. This event is free and open to the public.
Rumi's Wedding NightA celebration of poetry, music and dialogue between Muslims, Jews and Christians will be held on December 17th at 6:15pm at the Ethical Society.
Albanian Muslims Who Saved Jews During the HolocaustPhotos will be on display at Temple Emanuel from Oct. 21st - Dec. 1st on Thurs. evenings from 5pm-8pm, on Sat.'s and Sun.'s noon-4pm or by appt. The event is FREE. www.testl.org & www.eyecontactfoundation.org
Creches and CarolsThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting their 6th Annual Creche's and Carols Nativity Exhibit. Hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world will be on display at the Frontenac Chapel from Dec. 2nd 7pm-9pm, Dec. 3rd 12pm-8pm, Dec. 4th 12pm-8pm, & Dec. 5th 12pm-8pm. The event is FREE with many children's activities and family photo opportunities. www.Stlcrecheexhibit.com

November 12th - Birth of Baha'u'llah - Baha'i
November 15th - Waqf al Arafa-Hajj-Islam Nativity Fast through December 24th - Orthodox Christian
November 16th - Eid al Adha - Islam

She has driven by your church and looked at it and said, "No."
He has probably been invited to your church and still has said, "No."
But today there is a turning point in her life. He has changed his mind. She has overcome all his past "No's." Today for the first time he has said, "Yes." "Yes I will go to that church." Although there are uncertainties, this is an eventful day in her life. Celebrate it with him. Give her a special welcome for having the courage of changing her mind and saying, "Yes" to attending your church.

Music in Worship - Handbells
Also in Worship - Reading of the saints who died this past year; celebration of Holy Communion

We will begin our women's seven week small group Monday at 10am in Trinity's dining room. We will plan to finish at 11:30. We will meet on Mondays at 10am for seven weeks through December 13, breaking for the Christmas season.

Do You Take this Man? Do You Take this Woman?: Christian Marriage and Same-Sex Relationship

This past summer, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) considered a report on same-sex marriage and civil unions. Instead of making a decision, the church asked congregations to study this issue. On these two Sundays we will discuss traditional understandings of marriage and emerging ones. Join Dan Anderson-Little for this important discussion.

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leaopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)
Nov. 20/21 & 27/28 - led by Rick Hasler
Magic, mystery, danger, mythological creatures, talking animals and humans. How many of us were drawn closer to our understanding of Christianity through the Chronicles of Narnia? Join us as we share the parallel worlds of Narnia and Earth through film, text and discussion.

Saturday, Nov. 20, pot-luck dinner and screening of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at 5:00pm at Trinity. The following morning, we will gather to to explore the themes and ideas presented in this tale.
Saturday, November 27, pot-luck dinner and screening of "Prince Caspian" at 5:00pm at the church. Discussion at Trinity the following morning
Field trip to the movies to view "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (date TBA)

- Scot, Dana & Franki Brown
A big thank you to everyone who donated money, walked on October 24th, and/or supported the CROP Hunger Walk. Trinity raised $910 which will help children and families worldwide -- and right here in the U.S. -- to have food for today, while building for a better tomorrow. Online donations are still being accepted through March 31, 2011 at www.churchworldservice.org.
Here's a picture of Trinity walkers (Franki, Dana, and Scot Brown, Rick and Vickie Jeter with their dog Caulk, Diane O'Brien, and Gordon and Deanne Brown with their dog Angel:

Macy's at West County Mall is providing everything needed to wrap Christmas gifts. BOH needs volunteers to take either two or four hour shifts. BOH (http://www.basketofhope.org/) is the organization that brings baskets of age appropriate gifts to newly diagnosed children (primarily cancer patients).

(see also: Basket of Hope / Thrivent Financial Christmas Basket Assembly Day - December 15 at Concordia Lutheran)

Convergence: The intersection of faith, our lives, and the issues of the world

Saturday, November 13; 5:30pm @ Trinity
Undergrad and grad-level college students are invited to attend this free dinner, film, & discussion.
Invite your college friends. We will be viewing a few movie clips and then & discussing them.
Contact Dawn Fleishman for more information or to help with this event.

All families with young children (infant through elementary school) are invited to this special time together. We will have pizza, informal fellowship, and games for parents and children to participate in together. Teenagers are very welcome to attend and help out with the evening. Bring $12 per family (for pizza).

It should come as no surprise that there are many aspects to a church job that go unnoticed by the congregation in general. That is the way things should be. After all, we hire professionals to oversee the various components of the church operations and ministry for which specialized training and expertise are required. As part of my job as the Minister of Music - Organist, I am responsible for the oversight, maintenance and repair, and ongoing operations of the various instruments at Trinity. That list now includes the Casavant Pipe Organ, the electronic organ in the chapel, the Baldwin Grand in the Sanctuary, the new Essex piano in the choir room, and two upright pianos downstairs, three octaves of handbells and three octaves of hand chimes.

There have been two major projects over the last year that have now been completed and about which I am happy to report. The 1980 Baldwin Grand piano in the sanctuary was in critical need for serious repairs. We were faced with the decision to either replace it with a similar newer instrument or refurbish it. The Worship and Music Commission decided that the most responsible course of action would be to refurbish the current instrument and extend its life. Upon the generosity and approval of the Endowment Board and the Corporate Affairs Commission, we were able to have the instrument refurbished with new action and strings, and repair of several serious cosmetic injuries it has sustained during its frequent use for services and concerts over the last twenty years. This project entailed a complete removal of all 230 strings, 88 hammers, and key action and replacement with new components of each of those items. We contracted the services of a master piano craftsman, Mr. Tom Zasadny to do the work. The process began one year ago in November 2009 month and was finally completed with the last tuning of the refurbished instrument in September, 2010. This project has given new life into an instrument that was becoming increasingly more difficult to play and mechanically unable to produce the full range of dynamics for which the instrument was designed. The instrument is now a pleasure to play and is able to serve as a good instrument for accompaniment of the choir, singers, and ensembles, as well as serve as a responsive concert instrument. The repair of the damage to the case was undertaken by Mr. Vernon Stfleben from the Steinway Piano Gallery.

The second major project was to replace the studio upright piano in the choir room. Due to the high demand on that instrument, it had become increasingly more expensive to maintain. Although the instrument was only 23 years old, it was no longer able to sustain the day-to-day musical demands placed on it. We were able to negotiate with the Steinway Piano Gallery for a trade in of the choir piano on a new Essex EUP-123S institutional studio upright (designed by Steinway.) The new instrument was installed in time for the beginning of the new choir season in September. On behalf of the choir and Vicki Carmichael, I would like to extend my thanks to the Endowment Board and the Corporate Affairs Commission for their financial support and encouragement that made the completion of these two projects possible.

Basket of Hope / Thrivent Financial Christmas Basket Assembly Day

- Angela Brunette - Basket of Hope
Are you looking for an opportunity to help others during the holiday season? We have the perfect event for your entire family!
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is sponsoring a Basket of Hope Christmas Basket Assembly Day.
Basket of Hope is teaming up with the St. Louis Rams to deliver more than 250 baskets to children in SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Shriner's Hospital for Children, Haven House, and Ronald McDonald Houses during the month of December.
We need your help in assembling the baskets. Come and join us for a fun-filled day of packing gift baskets for children from newborn to age 18.
The basket assembly will take place Sunday, December 15 from 2:00-5:00 at Concordia Lutheran Church and a complimentary dinner will be served immediately following. Door prize drawings will take place throughout the event.
All ages are welcome to help. Would you like to bring items for these baskets or for future baskets to be delivered to seriously ill children? Just bring your donations with you the day of the event! Here's our wish list: Toys, Board Games, and Card Games Coloring books, Crayons and Markers Movies and Music Gift Certificates to area shops and restaurants Thank you for helping area St. Louis hospitalized children.
If you are unable to join us, your prayers and support are appreciated.
If you would like to learn more about Basket of Hope feel free to visit our website.

- Liz Nelson, for the Facilities and Campaign Oversight Committees
By the end of the year we will be a congregation that has a more accessible, safer, and more welcoming building.The good news: we're moving closer to our goal every day and are financially on target.
We have come across very few structural surprises, have a strong working relationship with our contractors, and have been pleased with the cost savings in many parts of the project.In fact, McGrath is estimating:

that we will save at least $21,000 out of the $57,000 contracted for tower work,
elevator electrical upgrade costs will probably be about $2,200 less than budgeted,
and the boiler is in and about $1,100 under budget.

This list doesn't even include the fact that our current flooring bid-if we are able to complete that part of the project-is now between $12,400 and $27,000 under the original $52,000 price originally shared with the congregation (depending on how much square footage we choose to cover).Given these savings, and a current pledged amount of $466,476, we are actually about only $40,000 below the amount needed to complete ALL aspects of our campaign.
The demolition went smoothly.The pit was blessedly empty of leaking oil/hydraulic fluid and our savings thus far easily covered the re-routing of a pipe unexpectedly found in the pit.The steel rebar is now in and the shaft foundation concrete is being poured in phases this week.Rebuilding has begun!The asbestos remediation will be finished next Monday and window work on the tower (the final part of the tower project) will be scheduled soon.
Bob Little and Mark O'Bryan, who have worked on many large construction projects, are pleased at how close we are staying to our time line and budget.Construction completion dates are always fluid, but McGrath expects to be finished around the end of the year.For safety reasons, they will not be opening the central staircase until the end of the construction project, so we will all be experts at following the blue tape and purple signs until the unveiling of the new elevator and gathering area!Thank you for your patience during, and excitement about, our movement forward with this project and as a congregation.After this, the good, hard work begins of living into our calling to be this church, in this place, at this time.

Hello! My name is Deja` and I'm a ninth grade student at Vashon High School. I'd like to tell you a little bit about what I've been learning in Mrs. G-A's (Mrs. Gardner-Andrews') English and AVID class!
We've read a book called To Kill a Mockingbird. I learned a lot about life from it. For example, it helped me think about how racism is not fair and it can destroy your life. Tom Robinson is an innocent Black man who has been put on trial for a crime he never committed. My favorite character is a protagonist, Atticus Finch. Even though he is a White character, he defends a Black man in the hate-filled town of Maycomb, Alabama. We learned that even though this is a fictional story, it's based on real events, like the Scottsboro Trials, that occurred in America during the Jim Crow Era.
Now that we've finished the book, we are writing a literary analysis essay. Writing this paper is helping me because it's informing me about how to write an organized essay full of quotations, details, and inferences.
In AVID class, we have been learning ACT-related vocabulary words. I'll be the first in my family to attend a college or university right after I graduate so I need to know these terms so I can score well on my placement exam. I dream of being an obstetrician/gynecologist so I need all of the education I can get!
Thanks so much for providing my teacher with paper and the copying machine. She wouldn't be able to do her job as well if she didn't have these supplies. Thanks to you, the church, for being so giving. We love you!

October 31, 2010 sermon by Matt Schindler
Matt is an elder on the Session and is Chair of the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Listen as Dan Anderson-Little talks about the blessings that Genny Richmond has received from / given to Trinity.

Hanging of the Greens is set for Dec. 11, but only if we have 4-6 strong, ladder-ready volunteers to bring trees and some decorations upstairs without the elevator. Others are welcome to help decorate. Please contact me before November 7 so we can make plans, or we'll need to do an even more simplified decorating this year. Also, due to our construction- induced space/staging limitations, we will not be offering poinsettias this year only. Please let me know if you can help take down on January 8th as well.

Tuesday, November 2; 11:30am
Due to voting and construction, the lunch will be held in the Confirmation Room. Bring a salad and enjoy a time of fellowship!

Trinity kids have collected 100's of books from us and their schools (keep them coming until this Sunday!). But now we need to focus on raising at least $500 to ship the books to Shanthi's school in Lesotho.

Checks can be made out to Trinity with "book shipping" in the memo line.

Our Trinity workers could use one more person--comfortable on a ladder-- to help with some painting for a home of an elderly U City resident.

Let Pat Gibbons (pcg@wuphys.wustl.edu) know if you can be there.

To remediate the asbestos covering on the ceiling in our elevator/ gathering area, the entire upstairs hallway and office area will be sealed off from Thursday, Nov. 4-Monday, Nov. 8. We can hold church without the office--with a little planning and patience! Counters, signers and staff, you'll be getting a specific planning email.

I will write a longer update next week, but suffice it to say that we are on budget for the elevator, significantly under budget for the tower work, pleased to find no oil in the pit and happy that asbestos clean-up is almost complete. A pipe unexpectedly found in the pit has been re-routed with minimal disruption to the time line. More details next week. Check out the construction calendar and updated construction pictures.

Sat, Oct 30 2010 8:27 AM CDT
Save the date! The first confirmation class/mentor event is set for Saturday night, December 4th. Details to come!

Sermon - God Laughs
Preacher: Elder Matt Schindler, Chair of the Corporate Affairs Commission
Gratitude Reflection: Genny Richmond

As Harold Glad and Jan Schulte-Glad are traversing this disease's terrain, Harold wants to share some resources he thinks the congregation might find useful (warning signs, upcoming medical talk). Papers are in the Narthex. Thanks for sharing, Harold.

In the August article My Ministry After Trinity, former Trinity youth leader Rhonda Dunbar told us about a non-profit, community development organization called Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT). Here's an update...

I am currently spending time in Ecaudor visiting my brother and his family, but here is a quick update of happenings at CHAT and Church Hill Academy:

We have a new website: www.chatrichmond.org
This year, some of our students at the Academy are being taught French, utilizing an approach based on how people learn a first language. It is fun and amusing to watch. Check out the video

Youth Event (grades 6-12)This Sunday October 31, 11:45am to 1pm
Bring $5 for lunch. Celebrating Dia de los Muertos with a Mexican lunch and decorating pieces in memory of loved ones.
Please RSVP to 24.dawn@gmail.com so we know how many to expect.

- Suzanne Doyle, BJC Hospice Threshold Program
Trinity provides space for BJC's annual retreat for the bereaved annually during the holiday season. We welcome any Trinity members and friends to attend the retreat. Please call me at 314-273-0806 to RSVP or for more information, and thank you for the space for our meetings throughout the year.

Genny's late husaband's military flag is now the coveted Boy Scout troop flag for a north city troop that has few resources. Thanks to Reed Evans for finding it a proper home.

ALL are invited to celebrate Adoption at Grace United Methodist Church - 6199 Waterman Blvd. 63112. Bring the whole family to celebrate how God has touched your life with adoption or given you the desire to adopt. Family friendly service followed by reception & fellowship.

As part of the Restore and Renew campaign, one of our missions is to reach beyond our Trinity building and support SHED (Safe Houses for the Elderly) with resources and labor. In October, there are multiple chances to volunteer for projects. We have 3 people for the 23rd, but can use at least 2 more. Please email the office at tpcucity@swbell.net ASAP if you can help.

The 2011 Stewardship Gratitude Campaign
This year's Stewardship Gratitude theme is "Counting our Blessings." God has blessed each one of us in so many ways and our pledges and gifts are a significant way that we say "thank you" to God. As you consider your pledge for 2011, you are invited to count your blessings. To that end, we have set up a "Blessings" page on the Trinity website where you can share one or more the blessings in your life.

- Rev. Dan Anderson-Little
On Sunday evening, October 24, I was a member of a panel at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in South City. The purpose of the panel was to help members of Gethsemane explore the possibility of becoming an openly welcoming congregation to gay and lesbian persons. This is the second time this year that I have been invited by local churches who are moving in a more welcoming direction (the other church was Hope UCC in South City where I preached and led a forum in February). Both times I was asked because Trinity has a strong and metropolitan-wide reputation for being a welcoming and hospitable church, especially to gay and lesbian persons.
At each event, it has been my joy to share this congregation's 20 year journey of openly and honestly learning how to be more and more welcoming. I share stories about how our Statement of Welcome has been one of the important parts of our church life that has drawn people to our congregation. I speak about how being a welcoming congregation has blessed our entire membership. I also tell these congregations that this has been a long journey: Trinity adopted its Statement of Welcome 12 years ago, but for many years before that, the congregation was working to make both the congregation and the denomination a more welcoming place.
I am excited to share with you that this Spring, Hope UCC voted to become an Open &Affirming congregation (and official designation of a welcoming church in the UCC). Sometime next year, I anticiapte that Gethsemane will vote to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation (the official designation in the Lutheran Church). Trinity's ministry is having an impact in the world, and it is my honor to be a part of it.

The Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis is hosting an Interfaith Open House on Sunday, October 24th from 3-6PM:

Please come to the true source of information and learn the real facts about Islam from those who actually practice the faith themselves.
Join us in an interactive session at: