Summer Abundance
The sun goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again;
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
Psalm 19:6
First, I thank you all for the opportunity to take some time away with Mary in New York last week. While the heat’s brutality was much the same there as here, it did us good to have a change of scene and a chance to reconnect with old friends. I am grateful for the vacation time you support, and very grateful to be back. And my goodness, you have been busy in my absence!
Our preschool’s graduation ceremony on June 28 was a joyful occasion sparkling with a few tears as we said goodbye to a few families who had entrusted multiple children to Trinity’s care over the years. Last week, some departing families continued to send thank-you gifts in on-going gratitude for the loving, nurturing skill of our teachers. You can be very proud of the work that goes on at Trinity Episcopal Preschool, and I encourage you to find ways to support it.
That same weekend, Surprise Shop volunteers outdid themselves by bringing in as more than $2500 at their yard sale. My inbox was flooded with email from happy volunteers celebrating both the day’s profits and their delight in working together. The shop is doing great business overall, too, so much so that they could really use more volunteers to join in the work and the camaraderie. Please consider joining in.
On Independence Day, July 4, we had a nice little crowd inside the church for Morning Prayer. The outdoor crowd for the parade was big, of course. A dedicated team of parishioners collected over $500 in donations from folks who parked their cars in our lot and their seats on our lawn. Based on conversations with some of these visitors, your Communications Team is now creating an informational brochure for folks interested in Trinity but with no background in the Episcopal Church.
Your Outreach Team has been busy continuing to support Alimi family from Afghanistan while also ramping up their efforts for Pleasant Plains. Laura McGuire, Mark Beatty, and I have been thinking about how best to use our church to store and assemble backpacks this year, so that the holiness of our Workship on August 11 feels most potent. Thank you for participating in this outreach effort to our neighbors.
Your Stewardship Team has been diligently working for a while on an information leaflet about legacy giving and supporting Trinity with various financial instruents. They have now handed their work off to Phoebe Minacapelli to design and produce. Meanwhile, your Personnel Team is cleaning up job descriptions and updating our Employee Handbook.
Finally, our Senior Warden, Greg Gabell has signed a contract for us with Azola Building Rehab Inc. We have deposited our grant from the Middendorf foundation, and we are ready for Azola to begin their structural and geotechnical engineering evaluations. For now, their team will focus on the church’s foundation settlement, existing cracks, and the southwest tower separation.
With a thousand thanks for all you do,
