Rebuild the House!

Everyone whose spirit God had stirred got ready to go up
and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
                                                                                                            Ezra 1:5b

Welcome Good News!

On March 1^st, Trinity applied to the Middendorf Foundation for a grant that would allow us to do a facility assessment and feasibility study of our property with an emphasis on restoring the southwest tower of the Church. Later that month we met with the Middendorf team from the foundation to tour the church, and in early April another team met with Marty and Tony Azola for another tour and to begin a conversation about working with them in the event we received the grant. Well, beloved, a letter came from the Middendorf Foundation late last week awarding us $25,000. Just yesterday, June 6^th, our senior warden Greg Gabell completed the acceptance letter, and we are on our way!

We have one year to get all this preliminary work done. The plan is to work with Azola, a local, family-run, and award-winning construction firm with over 50 years of experience. Some of that previous experience includes renovations that were made to Trinity in the 1990s. Once we have a realistic scope of the work and how best to prioritize it, we will apply for additional funds from Middendorf and other grant sources. Even though we do not have a historical designation, Trinity has undeniable historical significance to Towson and the wider area around us. With a clear plan in place, we should be attractive applicants for grantors like the National Fund for Sacred Places and the Maryland Historical Trust.

This was a huge team effort. At the risk of leaving someone out, I’d like to give my deepest thanks to the following people who helped us get this project moving. If you’re not on this list and were a part of this group, please toot your horn on Sunday!

Heather Ayotte          Mark Beatty

Jean Close                   Greg Gabell

Meg Gardner              Jen Korczakowski

Dara Lewis                  Tracy Martin

Lyle Patzkowski         Tom Valenti

We will share updates on this exciting development in the weeks and months to come. Meanwhile let us offer to God abundant thanks for this most welcome good news.

In peace,